Sporting revenge is sweet and after the Winter Guineas bump and bash of last month, Adam Marcus’ smart gelding Vardy enjoyed the removal of the blinkers to bounce back and give top 3yo One World one to think about at a sunny Kenilworth on Saturday.
While the Cape Winter Series may not warrant headline exposure and enjoy the support of top sponsors, it has been the nursery of some really good horses over the years. Names like Pocket Power, Winter Solstice, Variety Club and African Night Sky underline the level of the equine alumni who cut their teeth on this stage – and young Adam Marcus will be feeling positive after a workmanlike demolition job of the really smart One World by his charge Vardy – who many will be happy not to see up in Durban.
Craig Zackey enjoys a Saturday afternoon stroll as Vardy coasts in (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
The step up to the 1800m was never regarded as being an issue for One World, who was expected to go 2000m.
But after MJ Byleveld had confidently taken up the role of Pied Piper, Craig Zackey came to get him at the 300m and Vardy coasted by in good style.
The athletic gelding went on powerfully under Craig Zackey to beat the puzzlingly one-paced One World by 2,25 lengths in a time of 109,63 secs.
The rest were in another race.
A R400 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale graduate, Vardy has won 4 races with 3 places from 7 starts and took his stakes earnings to R1 145 950.
Craig Zackey chats to Adam and Basil Marcus (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
Bred by the Tawny Syndicate, he was a second feature winner on the day for evergreen Avontuur superstar Var (Forest Wildcat) after Eden Roc scored in the Gr1 Gold Medallion at Scottsville.
He is out of the unraced Jet Master mare Cupid and is thus a half-brother to last Thursday’s Moutonshoek Dispersal Sale topseller, Eros’s Girl – a daughter of Scottsville Saturday star performer, Captain Al.
Vardy races in the bright yellow and royal blue flag of Bernard Kantor, who owns him in partnership with Greg Blank, Jimmy Sarkis and Darryl Yutar.
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Gr3 Winter Classic (SAf-Gr3)
Kenilworth, South Africa, May 25, R250k, 1800m, turf, good, 1.49.63
1 – VARDY (SAF), 58.0, b g 3, Var (USA) – Cupid (SAF) by Jet Master (SAF). Owner Messrs B Kantor, G L Blank, J Sarkis & D Yutar; Breeder Tawny Syndicate; trainer AN Marcus; jockey C Zackey
2 – One World (SAF), 60.0, b c 3, Captain Al (SAF) – Aquilonia (USA) by Giant’s Causeway (USA)
3 – Majestic Mozart (SAF), 58.0, b g 3, Dynasty (SAF) – Sound The Flute (USA) by Theatrical (IRE)
Margins: 2.25, 6.25, 0.75
