Durban July favourite Marinaresco is on track for the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville on June 10 and the Bass stable has confirmed that Bernard Fayd’Herbe will ride him in all his Durban races this season.
Fayd’Herbe said yesterday that he had deliberately decided to scrap the previous waiting tactics when teaming up with the four-year-old for the first time in Sunday’s Drill Hall Stakes.
Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Liesl King)
He explained: “I felt Marinaresco couldn’t keep running from so far back. He needs to learn to race handy – maybe not that handy but at least in a firing position.”
Victory was something of a bonus for trainer Candice Bass-Robinson who said: “It was a bit of a surprise over that trip but at least he didn’t have to come from so far back this time.
“He always runs well fresh but he had had a dirty trach wash, and there was some coughing in the yard, so he was a bit behind in his preparation.”
Stable companion Live Life, winner of the US$ 500 000 CTS Sprint on Met day, has been bought by Ridgemont and will be ridden by Greg Cheyne in the SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville on May 27.
Captain America (5th in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall) and stable companion Sail South (6th) both came out of the race well after finishing less than half a length off the winner and Brett Crawford said that the pair will renew rivalry with Marinaresco in the Gold Challenge.
Andrew Nel has 32 two-year-olds and Lanark started the ball rolling for them when making a winning debut in the opener at Kenilworth yesterday.
Nel said: “She was the first of a bunch of ten that are close to running. The others will race when they are ready.”
By Michael Clower
