Marinaresco’s 19 draw was greeted with disappointment bordering on disgust by the horse’s connections at Kenilworth yesterday.

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

“That’s the worst draw I could have,” said rider Grant van Niekerk while Candice Robinson greeted questions with a blunt “Don’t even ask me,” before adding: “We had bad luck – we didn’t even get a chance to choose a number. Marinaresco has to be dropped in – that’s the way he is ridden – so we are going to have to hope that there is a good pace.”

It was also a bitter disappointment for all those punters who have backed the three-year-old to give Mike Bass success with his last hurrah, making him the gamble of the race so far. Bookmakers, doubtless breathing a sigh of relief, promptly marked him out from 6-1 to as much as 15-2.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who won from pen three on Pocket Power eight years ago, was totally unimpressed with Mac De Lago’s 16, saying: “That’s very bad.”

Surprisingly, though, Richard Fourie expressed himself delighted with his number 14 stall for It’s My Turn. It could be significant that Legislate started from only three places inside that when Fourie won on him two years ago.

He said: “That’s a beautiful draw and a good one for this particular horse. Most of those drawn low are speed horses and they are going to cut each other’s throats. I am happy that I am out of trouble, I know my horse stays and now I’m just hoping for a fair run through the race.”

By Michael Clower