Trainer Weiho Marwing has had his fair share of trauma with Greyville July day objections. It has been three years since he experienced one of the worst moments of his career – but things turned out well for him on Saturday.
Captain Splendid (obscured, Piere Strydom up) and Hermoso Mundo (Karl Zechner) are locked together at the finish
It was Marwing’s Wylie Hall who was demoted after beating Snaith’s Legislate in the 2014 Vodacom Durban July, and the roles were reversed on Saturday, with the two yard’s experiencing things from the other side of the fence.
“The Stipes read the race perfectly,” said Marwing, after a boardroom decision saw his recent Gold Bowl winner Hermoso Mundo promoted to first to add the R500 000 Gr3 Gold Vase to his cv.
The 3000m contest opened the record July day Pick 6 and looked a tricky affair. But in the end, it was to be the horse ‘the whole of Joburg’ was talking about all week, that squeaked in.
They got the lot – Gold Vase joy!
Banner Hill led the charge for home, with Piere Strydom challenging early on Captain Splendid, who had been five lengths off the leader in third for most of the trip.
At the 250m marker, Hermoso Mundo burst through from some lengths back and that’s where the fun and games started. Under a right-handed whip, Captain Splendid shifted out and joined Hermoso Mundo – before Strydom straightened him and got the upper hand.
It was difficult to ascertain from the head-on whether there was contact, but they came close together. Karl Zechner did not appear to stop riding – an interesting and possibly fair call by the Stipes.
After a short delay, Hermoso Mundo got the verdict by a short head in a time of 187,95 secs.
Kinaan ran a smart Gold Cup prep to get third, a further 1,50 lengths back – and miles away from the action in centrefield.
Banner Hill was pacemaker for a long way and tired late for fourth.
Helderberg Blue disappointed again and finished 11 lengths off the winner, while Snaith topweight Ovidio was a distant last – and is unlikely to race again on the hard KZN ground.
Karl Zechner, who won on Hermoso Mundo last time, said that his mount had enjoyed ‘a perfect prep’. “And he was always coming to win it,” he added to confirm his agreement with the Stipes.
A R200 000 Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale purchase, the winner was bred by Mauritzfontein from Ideal World (Kingmambo) out of the ten time winner Escoleta Fitz (Fitzcaraldo) – an Equus champion who hails from the famous ‘E’ family.
Hermoso Mundo is unbeaten in his two starts for Marwing. He has won 4 races with 9 places from 19 starts and has now earned R1 159 475 in stakes.
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Gr3 Gold Vase (SAf-Gr3)
Greyville, South Africa, July 1, R500k, 3000m, turf, good, 3.07.95
1 – HERMOSO MUNDO (SAF), 54.0, b g 4, Ideal World (USA) – Escoleta Fitz (ARG) by Fitzcarraldo (ANY). Owner Messrs N C Smith, G D Cahn, G Morris, Neil Patrick Smith, S Singleton & W Volschenk; Breeder Mauritzfontein Stud; trainer WH Marwing; jockey K Zechner
2 – Captain Splendid (SAF), 55.5, b g 4, Captain Al (SAF) – Justthewayyouare (SAF) by Fort Wood (USA)
3 – Kinaan (AUS), 52.5, b g 4, Galileo (IRE) – Dazzledar (GB) by Zamindar (USA)
Margins: 0.05, 1.50, 1.25
