Marinaresco will face 11 rivals when he goes on trial for the Vodacom Durban July in the Winter Classic at Kenilworth on Saturday. It will be the biggest Winter Classic field in 15 years.

Grant Van Niekerk (Nkosi Hlophe)

Grant van Niekerk, suspended when the three-year-old won the Winter Guineas, regains the ride from Aldo Domeyer who will be on the Mike Bass second string Brilliant Crimson.

The Brett Crawford-trained Whisky Baron and Vilakazi, second and third in the Winter Guineas, will also have different riders with stable jockey Corne Orffer taking over from Bernard Fayd’Herbe on the runner-up and Sean Veale replacing MJ Byleveld on Vilakazi. Byleveld has been claimed by Vaughan Marshall for Paladin who won a mile handicap last month and was unlucky not to follow up in a similar race nine days ago.

The in-form Donovan Dillon has been snapped up by Greg Ennion for Cape Classic winner Eighth Wonder who was found to have a nasal discharge when disappointing in the Winter Guineas.

Ennion said: “The whole yard had it. I took him out of work for a week and he was fine again.”

By Michael Clower