In the same month that he saddled his first runner, former SA Champion Jockey Weichong Marwing opened his account as a trainer when the Dennis Drier hand-me-down Desert Crusader stormed home at 16-1 to win the Workriders Maiden Plate at the Vaal on Thursday.
Sam Mosia guides Desert Crusader to win at 16-1 (Pic – JC Photos)
A son of Crusade and raced by Colleen de Klerk, whose Summerview Stud bred the gelding out of the talented Mogok mare, Sahara, Desert Crusader had earned only once previously and was having his ninth start.
Ridden by multiple champion workrider Sam Mosia, Desert Crusader crowned a R 6694 trifecta when he beat Big Five (40-1) by 2,75 lengths in a time of 71,89 secs for the 1200m.
Grant Maroun’s Blackburn Jet (40-1) ran third.
Happy man! Weichong was clearly pleased to saddle his first winner (Pic – JC Photos)
One of South Africa’s most accomplished internationally performed jockeys, the 52 year old Weichong Marwing was forced to hang up his boots on medical advice.
He had his last ride on Three Hills for Corrie Lensley at the Vaal in June last year, rates Horse Chestnut the best the sat on and rode international winners Gr1 winners for Mike de Kock on two continents. De Kock had a runner in the same race won by Marwing’s Desert Crusader today.
The Marwing string is based at Turffontein.
