Bernard Fayd’Herbe has decided to ride Winter Series winner African Night Sky in preference to Marinaresco in the big Cape Town races this season.
His decision comes as a surprise, not least because Marinaresco won the Vodacom Durban July carrying more weight than any horse has ever done when Fayd’Herbe scored a famous victory on the gelding.
Bernard Fayd’Herbe (Liesl King)
But Fayd’Herbe explained yesterday that his choice is the result of his close ties to the Justin Snaith stable and added: “It was a hard decision – Marinaresco is the horse to beat in these races and I am good friends with his owners – but I can’t upset the relationship [with Snaith Racing] for one horse.”
Aldo Domeyer is to take over on the Candice Bass-Robinson stable star and he rode the horse in a 1 200m Kenilworth gallop with Our Mate Art (Belinda Haytread) yesterday.
Mrs Robinson, in blistering form with a four-timer, said: “Both horses worked well but Our Mate Art went particularly well. He runs in the WSB Green Point on Saturday week.”
Marinaresco is a 33-1 chance with the sponsors for his reappearance in Saturday week’s WSB Cape Merchants – the 1 200m is widely expected to be much too short for him – and the Mike de Kock pair Mujaafy and Naafer share 10-1 favouritism. WSB has temporarily stopped quoting prices on the Green Point.
Snaith Racing has given up the idea of running last Saturday’s Lanzerac Ready To Run winner Miss Katalin in the WSB Fillies Guineas. “The race comes too soon for her and we are now going to wait a bit,” said Justin.
The stable’s Snowdance (Fayd’Herbe) has hardened a fraction to 14-10 as has second favourite Magical Wonderland (11-2 to 5-1) but De Kock’s Silver Thursday has drifted from 10-1 to 14-1.
Seattle Gold earned a tilt at the Victress Stakes on 16 December after serving up a 36-1 all-the-way shock in the Interbet.co.za Conditions Plate with Greg Cheyne (“You can’t give away weight and start”) enterprisingly making the most of his mount’s light burden.
Brett Crawford, who had tipped off this column that the Ashley Parker homebred needed the run last time, said: “She had it all to do at the weights but she is a free-striding filly, the course is running fast and Greg knows her well.”
By Michael Clower
