Weichong Marwing gets Flying Ice up on the inside to beat Almashooqa and Lauderdale
Top internationally experienced jockey Weichong Marwing maintained his excellent KZN Champions Season strike rate when he produced the Go Deputy filly Flying Ice with a sustained late run to catch and beat Mike De Kock’s fancied Australian-bred Almashooqa in the final strides of the R135 000 Listed Devon Air Stakes.
The win for the Neil Bruss trained filly over the Greyville 1400m turf came exactly a week after Marwing had ridden a pearler at the same venue to steer Smart Call to victory in the Gr1 Woolavington 2000.
Harvest Queen made the early running and led Lauderdale, with Almashooqa tucked away on the rail in third, and tracked by Flying Ice.
Into the home run, Richard Fourie kept Harvest Queen galloping well as Almashooqa launched what looked to be a winning challenge.
But Flying Ice was going well and she produced an impressive burst to catch Almashooqa, with the omnipresent Lauderdale staying on gamely for third a neck away,after looking outgunned into the final stages.
The 10-1 Flying Ice got the verdict by a head in a time of 85,80 secs.
The Bernardini filly Almashooqa looks promising and she should make amends for this defeat.
Flying Ice’s owners Michelle and James Paterson are resident in Sydney, Australia, and were not on course to enjoy the win.
Jockey Weichong Marwing said that Flying Ice had given him a good feeling.
“But I do believe that they are all going to improve – so don’t shout your head off yet,” he cautioned wisely.
Trainer Neil Bruss said that Flying Ice was a ‘well grown, nicely built and deep girthed filly.’
“She kicked on well and I am so pleased for the Patersons in Australia,” he said.
Flying Ice made it 2 wins from 2 starts and took her stakes to R133 125 – thus surpassing her National Yearling Sale R125 000 purchase price early in her career.
She was also a recipient of the Bloodstock SA Value Added Bonus of R75 000.
The Lammerskraal Stud-bred Flying Ice is a daughter of Go Deputy out of the twice winning Western Winter mare, Strawberry Ice.
