Last season’s Champions Cup winner Marinaresco has been sent to Durban early in Candice Bass-Robinson’s bid to make amends for the gelding’s near miss in the Vodacom Durban July and gain rich compensation for his winless Cape Town campaign.

Marinaresco (Liesl King)

Mrs Robinson said: “Marinaresco had a break after the Met – not on a farm but at home – and he went to Durban last week. His possible route could be the Drill Hall (May 6), Rising Sun Gold Challenge (June 10) and the July.”

Some of the stable’s other KZN challengers have also travelled and apparently the trainer’s new private yard at Summerveld has made this possible.

She said: “In previous years sending horses to Durban was all a bit of a rush but now that we have our own place, with Robert Fayd’Herbe there, the horses can go earlier and come into the Durban season more gradually.”

Silver Mountain, runaway winner of last season’s Cape Fillies Guineas but only fifth in the Klawervlei Majorca and the Prix Du Cap, will also be making the great trek but she is to be upped in distance.

Mrs Robinson explained: “The Prix Du Cap wasn’t one of her best runs but I am not sure that she isn’t looking for more ground so we are going to try her over a bit further.”

But a different travel plan is to be adopted for the Sceptre and CTS Sprint winner Live Life – “We will get her fit in Cape Town and then raid for the Poinsettia Stakes (at Scottsville on April 30) before she runs in the City Of Pietermaritzburg Fillies Sprint.”

By Michael Clower