The ruptured tendon is the identical injury to the one he had in his right thumb last year with the only difference being that it is “not as severe.”

He said, “A pin has been inserted and there are bandages. I will only have some kind of idea how long I will be out for in about two weeks time, but I will be back riding as soon as possible because after 24 hours I am bored already. There are so many variables. I could possibly come back for one or two horses with the pin still in. I would like to be back for the Cape Guineas on December 20. But on the other hand I could be out for ten weeks, I just have no idea. Even after the pin is removed it still takes a couple of weeks for full movement in the thumb to return.”

Marcus described the incident in which his mount Admiral’s Eye jumped a patch and faltered badly at the 1200m mark of the KZN Guineas Trial on the Greyville turf as “unfortunate”, but was thankful it was not worse as “the horse could have fallen.”

He added, “It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.” He was obviously referring to the big feature races that are fast approaching in both Cape Town and Johannesburg.

He was not sure exactly how the injury occurred, whether it was caused by the rein or the horse’s neck, and all he knew was that it happened sometime during the stumbling incident.

Marcus was out for a period of eleven weeks last year after the operation to his right thumb, but the recovery process might have been effected by an initial delay to the operation in order that he could ride Variety Club in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge and also by his attempts to make it back in time for the Vodacom Durban July.

He is currently five ahead of Piere Strydom in the national jockey’s championship, but this injury will probably rule out any chance of landing a fifth title this season.

The Dynasty colt runs in the Gr 2 Green Pont Stakes over 1600m on November 22 and Snaith said, “It was fantastic to see him moving so well. The injury he picked up on July day had been a bit of a concern and that is now all past us. He is back to his best and peaking at the right time. This will obviously be his first run of the season, but I couldn’t be happier with where he is at the moment. This horse never ceases to amaze me.”

–       Snaith Racing

He completed a hattrick when winning a competitive MR 68 Handicap over 1600m at Kenilworth on Saturday in impressive style under Richard Fourie and Snaith said, “We will find out how good he is if he runs in the Guineas, but he has done nothing wrong to date. All the best horses are fighting out the features and taking strain so it can be interesting to run a fresh horse. He has always shown ability and the secret is his incredible temperament, very much like the Dynasty’s, who are easy horses to train.”

The yard’s other classic male hopefuls that Snaith mentioned were Heartland and Sieze The Throne.

The Dynasty colt Heartland was impressive on debut over 1200m at Kenilworth when winning by nearly ten lengths. He wasn’t disgraced last time out in the Gr 3 Cape Classic when finishing a 3,8 length third. He did admittedly receive 6kg from the winner Act Of War, but his chances were effectively gone after he had been rushed three wide around the field on the turn. Snaith described it as “an ordinary ride” and said that “in time Heartland will be a very nice horse.”

The big colt Seize The Throne is also by Dynasty and impressed second time out over 1600m when cruising to a 2,25 length victory. He looks full of potential.

Heartland is entered in a 1400m handicap at Kenilworth next Wednesday and Seize The Throne is also entered there as well as in an 1800m handicap. The latter gave the impression that he would appreciate a step up in trip.

Other three-year-old males in the yard that are sure to make their presence felt are Harry Lime, who almost led from start to finish in his reappearance over 1200m at Kenilworth despite carrying 59kg, Arniston, Door Of Deception, Alpha Pegasi and Bianzino. The last mentioned is also a Dynasty colt and he stormed home from the tail of the field in a MR 78 handicap over 1600m last time. He was only running off a merit rating of 77 but is an entry in the Gr 2 Selangor Cup over 1600m on November 22 as well as in the 1800m handicap next Wednesday.

Door Of Deception is entered in the same 1400m race as Heartland next Wednesday and Arniston is entered in a race at Fairview next Friday.

Alpha Pegasi is being kept to sprints at present and runs on Sunday over 1200m at Kenilworth.

Meanwhile, Snaith’s Equus Horse Of The Year Legislate (pictured) is “doing well” ahead of his reappearance in the Gr 2 weight for age Green Point Stakes over 1600m on November 22 at Kenilworth.

Snaith said, “He will need the run. He could still win but it is his first run of the season and he is going straight into the mile.”

Snaith will have a strong hand in the race as he also runs Jet Explorer and Readytogorightnow.

He couldn’t separate them for this particular race, although he confirmed that stable jockey Richard Fourie would be on Legislate.

He said, “It would take a pair of plyers to get Richard off Legislate!”

He added that Fourie had fully recovered from his most recent injury and was stronger than ever.

“He is like a machine.”

A former regular ride for the stable, Felix Coetzee, is once again a valuable member of the yard’s team, as he is breaking in their young two-year-olds. Coetzee attended classes of the legendary “horse whisperer” Monty Roberts a few years ago and it had such an impact that he has furthered his knowledge at every opportunity since. He is therefore well versed in the most modern and kindest methods of breaking in horses.

The Snaiths are currently excited about a Sabine Plattner-owned Captain Al baby, who is out of the Gr 2 winner She’s On Fire, that Coetzee is breaking in.

In overseas news last season’s Equus Champion three-year-old filly In The Fast Lane is doing well in Mauritius on her way to the UK. She will arrive too late in England for Dubai to be an option so will remain in Mike de Kock’s Newmarket yard. The plan is to race her in the UK and she will appear under Snaith’s name.

Snaith concluded by speaking about the health of Western Cape racing at present and said, “The spring has been very competitive, I’ve never seen Cape Town this strong before. We are very fortunate that the Cape guys spend at the sales and that we’ve got the stock. But I take my hat off to the trainers too as they do their homework and get the owners to buy these horses.”

Pictures: Charles Lytton, Legislate (Liesl King)

Last year’s Cape Derby runner-up has the proverbial stone in hand and in theory he should win by six lengths. He is going to start hot favourite – he was 1-2 with Betting World yesterday – but he is a classic red-warning light case.

Most trainers will tell you that they don’t believe in the second-run-after-a-rest theory except when a horse is coming back after injury – and Dynamic damaged a tendon 18 months ago. On his first run back, at Durbanville eight weeks ago, he performed way above expectations to win comfortably.

“I do believe in the theory for certain horses but it depends on the horse,” stresses Justin Snaith. “For example Another Idea was in the same situation at Kenilworth on Saturday and he ran second to Generalissimo. Dynamic has done well since his win and I purposely haven’t galloped him.” In other words he should be OK. But there is an element of risk and punters should bear that in mind, particularly with the price so short.

Dennis Drier only brings horses to Cape Town if he thinks they are going to win and so newcomer The Tripster catches the eye in the opening maiden. “He has taken a bit of time and, although he is a staying type, he is showing plenty of pace,” says the trainer who cautions that it looks a strong field.

Power To Please is the form horse and should be hard to beat. He has already been backed from 4-1 to 3-1. One who could also go well at a good price is Winter Trade who last time lost far more ground at the start than he was beaten and now wears blinkers for the first time. He was as big as 14-1 yesterday.

“He doesn’t concentrate and he looks at everything,” says Darryl Hodgson, explaining his decision to fit the blinds. It could be worth bearing in mind that Winter Trade was considered good enough to run in the Cape Nursery on his previous start, and he was far from disgraced behind Kingvoldt.

Jet Revez has shown useful form but Karl Neisius is on stable companion Captains Corner in race two. “A beautiful filly with a magnificent action,” says Dean Kannemeyer. “But I haven’t galloped her.” In other words she can be expected to go well but she may need the run. Her price of 16-10 looks too short.

Kannemeyer’s Evil Woman has proved costly to follow, largely because she loses a fatal amount of ground at the start every time she runs. But this course will suit her much better than Durbanville and she may finally get her head in front in the Racing Association Maiden. She opened 12-10 favourite and was 22-10 yesterday.

Philosophy (6-1) is an obvious danger. She was only three-quarters of a length adrift last time and now wears blinkers because, says Paddy Kruyer, “she is very one-paced.”

Without Permission ran well enough first time to suggests he will be hard to beat in race four while Line Break, reported “a smart horse” by Mike Bass when he floored the prohibitive odds laid on Dynastic on debut, should be able to follow up in the Rugby 5 Handicap off a mark of 82.

 Picture: Dennis Drier who saddles The Tripster in the first at Kenilworth tomorrow.

In the last race on Sunday on the Greyville turf, Marcus’ mount Admiral’s Eye, according to the stipendiary steward report, “jumped a patch” at about the 1200m mark “and faltered badly.” The consequent sudden pull on the rein must have caused the injury.

Admiral’s Eye, who started favourite, was fortunate not to have fallen and soon faded in the straight. Marcus eventually stopped persevering with her. He called for the on course doctor immediately after the race and his left thumb, which couldn’t even be touched due to the pain, clinically resembled a fracture.

However, Marcus reported after x-rays yesterday that it was in fact a “snapped tendon”.

Marcus suffered a virtually identical rupture to the tendon of his right thumb in May last year. He didn’t go for surgery immediately on that occasion as he had some plum rides in the ensuing days, including Variety Club, whom he steered to victory in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.

He didn’t race ride for a period of about eleven weeks after the operation that was performed in the week after Variety Club’s victory. However, he did attempt to make a comeback in time for the Vodacom Durban July and the delaying of the operation as well as the work riding he did before the July likely set the recovery process back.

Kevin Shea was out recently due to a “bulged vertebra.” He is now out with the same problem on a different vertebra that is lower down. Fortunately, there has been no damage to the nerves on either occasion.

He has had cortisone treatment to ease the pain and has started the rehabilitation process, which involves strengthening the core area of the body as well as the ligaments near the vertebra. Shea said the cause of the injuries was simply due to wear and tear after 37 years in the saddle.

He concluded, “It has been very frustrating as I will be missing races like the Summer Cup, but it is unfair on trainers to take rides when you are physically unable to perform to your best.”