Anton Marcus enjoyed a profitable day at the Greyville Saturday office. Besides a terrific Gr1 win, he also produced a polished exhibition of committed race riding on the Neil Bruss-trained Zante, when duping his colleagues to sleep in the R150 000 Queen Palm Stakes.
It is mission accomplished for Zante and Anton Marcus after the pair made a brave move a long way from home
The low-key 2400m non black-type feature had threatened to spiral into one of those dawdle and dash spectacles that we have become so accustomed to, until the top jockey – known affectionately to his legion of fans as Superman – took the race by the scruff of the neck after just 600m.
At that stage they were idling and Marcus had no qualms in upping the ante, taking Zante around them and kicking away.
For her eight opponents, it was to be the last time they saw the daughter of Ideal World until the unsaddling enclosure.
Neil Bruss – saddled the exacta
Staying on beautifully, Zante kept on strongly all the way and had six lengths to spare at the line over her topweighted stablemate Deputy Ryder, who came on late for second.
A beautiful ride and a lovely 1-2 for trainer Neil Bruss.
The winner races in a partnership of her trainer, Sharon Holland and the Swart Bros.
Joey Ramsden’s beautifully-bred Grey Light was always thereabouts and finished third.
The winner was bred by former jockey Nigel Page and is a stay-all-day sort, being by Ideal World out of the Western Winter mare, Temperate Lady. The dam won once over 1000m as a 2yo from only 3 starts. She is a half-sister to the well performed Flame Tree.
She was purchased by Neil Bruss for what looks like a giveaway R70 000 at the 2013 KZN Yearling Sale.
Zante has a career peak performance fourth placing in the 2015 Gr1 Woolavington 2000 to her credit – that to the current globetrotting 2016 J&B Met winner, Smart Call.
She has won 5 races with 6 places from 22 starts, for stakes of R388 725.
As a solid staying 4yo, she certainly deserves a stakes win – that is if her connections decide to keep her in racing.
