Bela-Bela, only sixth when favourite for last year’s July, might yet be back next year after really turning on the style in the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes – much to the relief of Justin Snaith.

Anthony Delpech pressed the button just under two furlongs out and the 21-20 favourite put the race to bed in a matter of strides, storming home nearly four lengths clear of 36-1 outsider She’s A Giver.

“I didn’t enjoy that at all,” Snaith declared. “All I was hearing all day was that Bela-Bela is the banker and I thought ‘Oh no.’ Thank God everybody won their bets. I prepped her all the Durban season to show just how good she is today.”

But brother Jonathan explained that the stable believes she can be even better – “Whether she stays in training next season will be up to Varsfontein but we hope she will because she is only just coming into her own and we haven’t yet seen the best of her, and she is a typical Dynasty in that respect.”

Delpech might struggle to believe she could be even better than Saturday’s performance because he said: “She is a phenomenal filly and this was the best I have ever felt her.”

Snaith rounded off a treble in the last two races while Johan Janse van Vuuren, trainer of She’s A Giver, took two of the first three, notably the Betting World 2200 with the aptly-named Crowd Pleaser on whom Keagan de Melo made all.

Van Vuuren said: “Crowd Pleaser is not suited to the Turffontein long straights – they come and catch him there – so we will most likely leave him here and then send him to Cape Town.”

Brett Crawford had some compensation for the Edict Of Nantes disappointment when Corne Orffer on Al Mariachi narrowly but convincingly justified 17-10 favouritism in the KZN Yearling Sale Million.

“He is a bit of a speed horse and I’m not sure whether he will get a mile,” said the trainer. “But he has got a future in front of him, that’s for sure.”

By Michael Clower

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, won on Marinaresco: “I was a bit out of my ground early on but I managed to sneak up on the rail and I was in a winning position turning into the straight. I had to switch because I had horses in front of me but I had gears underneath me. It was close at the line, and I wasn’t sure I’d got up, but I still had quite a bit of horse.”

Aldo Domeyer, 4^th= on Krambambuli: “I knew he wasn’t going to outsprint them so I tried to get away a little bit and he was staying on. He did everything right for me but then they came and got me.”

Anthony Delpech, 4^th= on Nightingale: “Halfway up the straight I thought I was going to win and then the boys got to me but she ran a great race and she couldn’t have done any better.”

Richard Fourie, 6^th on Horizon: “I thought I had a chance when we opened up coming into the straight but it was still a great run.”

Grant van Niekerk, 7^th on Black Arthur: “I thought I had a perfect run but he just didn’t give it to me.”

Lyle Hewitson, 9^th on French Navy: “He lacks a bit of early speed so I ended up further back than I wanted and I had to go round them. But it was a courageous run.”

Weichong Marwing, 10th on Ten Gun Salute: “I got a little bit nudged and I couldn’t get out when I wanted to but I don’t think I would have won.”

Gavin Lerena, 12^th on Brazuca: “It was a very rough race, particularly in the first 400m.”

By Michael Clower

Candice Bass-Robinson became the first woman to win the Vodacom Durban July in its 120-year history when top weight Marinaresco (17-1) powered home under Bernhard Fayd-Herbe at Greyville yesterday. Few gave the diminutive gelding much of a chance under 60kg but he laid the ghost of last year’s race to rest where he finished second to The Conglomerate who was unplaced yesterday.

A blanket covered the first nine horses home, all finishing within four lengths of the winner with favourite Al Sahem beaten a head and Edict Of Nantes a further neck back in third. Rank outsider Krambambuli finished fourth.

Bass-Robinson is in her first season as a fully-fledged trainer after taking over the reins from her father, maestro Mike Bass, at the beginning of the season, August 1 last year.

Bass signed off his career with Marinaresco’s victory in the Grade 1 Champions Cup, that year the race named in his honour, and this was a fitting victory for both Bass-Robinson and Marinaresco.

Marinaresco is not the biggest individual but possesses an electric turn of foot and that is what carried him to victory. “I had a lovely race,” said Fayd’Herbe. “I followed Warren Kennedy (Mr Winsome) but he got into trouble and was pushed into the rail a few times. When we turned for home I had so much horse under me. I just waited for a gap to open. This win was for Mr Bass.”

Bass-Robinson explained that Marinaresco’s modest effort in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge was a tactical mistake. “We tried a change of tactics and had him up handy to chase Captain America but his usual finish was just not there. It was a tactical error. You need to allow him to run his race and he will produce his finish like he did today.”

Bass-Robinson was quick to heap praise on her KZN assistant Robert Fayd-Herbe, brother to the winning jockey. “He did a fantastic job. He really had this horse looking well.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe is one of the top heavy weight jockeys around but there was still debate in the stable as to whether current stable rider Aldo Domeyer should get the ride. “I put up a case for Bernard,” said his brother. “I thought with top weight he (Marinaresco) would not be carrying any dead-weight if Bernard rode him.”

Marinaresco raced in the colours of part owner Marsh Shirtliff, whose silks were also carried to a shared victory by Pocket Power who dead-heated with the filly Dancer’s Daughter back in 2008. Pocket Power was also ridden by Fayd-Herbe. An emotional Shirtliff said, “I’ve won in Dubai, but this is something else. This is the race we all want to win.”

Anton Marcus, who finished third on Edict Of Nantes said it was a form result. “I had a great run. I was perfectly happy with where I was placed and was happy with my horse. The form worked out. Half a kilo over 2200m,” referring to the Daily News 2000 where Edict Of Nantes finished ahead of Al Sahem.

Confirmed stayer Krambambuli was the surprise package in the race and at one stage looked set to cause a major upset. “I knew they would out-sprint me so I tried to get away at the top of the straight. He did everything right. The horse ran out of his skin but just got caught that last bit.”

Callan Murray, riding in his first July and due back in Hong Kong on Tuesday, said The Conglomerate had the run of the race. “I was just not his day.”

Piere Strydom aboard the fancied It’s My Turn also had no complaints. “They went slow so at the 1700m mark I decided to go around them. I did it easily so didn’t take anything out of my horse and I was happy to lead. But the going was a bit firm. Some of the horses felt it – mine was one of them.”

Bass-Robinson will also be encouraged by the report from Richard Fourie. Horizon, in the race as first reserve after the scratching of Elusive Silva , can a cracker in sixth. “It was a great run from a bad draw,” said Fourie. He’s on the road to becoming a champion. He will be a big horse next year.”

Bass-Robinson was unsure of future plans for Marinaresco. “He was going to go overseas, but because of an out-break of African Horse Sickness, he won’t be going now. I’m not sure about the Champions Cup. We’ll see how he comes out for this race and take it from there.”

For most of the riders it was plain sailing but both of Duncan Howell’s runners found trouble. The stipendiary stewards reported that Saratoga Dancer became camped for galloping room at the 1800 m mark while Ten Gun Salute was never out of trouble as he was hampered at the 1600m mark and again in the straight by fourth-placed Krambambuli, Aldo Domeyer copping a week’s suspension for his troubles.

The decision by Justin Snaith to skip the Vodacom Durban July with his top filly Bela-Bela paid dividends as the grey spread-eagled her field in the Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes.

Racing comfortably in mid-field under Anthony Delpech, Bela-Bela quickened away from her rivals at the top of the straight and put plenty of daylight between herself and her rivals. Her official winning margin being nearly four lengths from She’s A Giver and Bella Sonata.

The expected challenge from the year younger Just Sensual failed to materialise. However, she had a nightmare passage through the early fractions as Marcus battled to get her settled into a position on the heels of her chief rival. Just Sensual was on the heels of Bela-Bela turning for home but her race was run a long way out and she faded tamely in the straight.

“She is a phenomenal filly,” said Delpech “and this was the best I’ve ever felt her.”

Earlier, Sean Tarry added further to his spectacular season, landing both the Grade 2 Golden Slipper and Golden Horseshoe with Desert Rhythm and Purple Diamond respectively.

Andrew Harrison

 

 

Jockey great Basil Marcus would likely be the favourite for the accolade “Best jockey to have never won The July” and the horse he finished second on thirty years ago, the Paddy Lunn-trained Model Man, would be a strong contender for the title “The greatest July run to have not earned the winner’s sash.”

Marcus said, “To think the top three-year-old of that 1987 year, Bush Telegraph, who was unbeaten in eight previous starts, including the South African 2000 (Daily News 2000), only had to carry 49kg, compared to Model Man’s 57kg, shows just how great a run it was. Then in the race he was hampered at the start and ended up a long way off the pace. I had to build him up gently to make up the ground.”

In the straight, the great horse was soon eating up the ground with that enormous stride of his. However, Bush Telegraph had stolen too much ground when displaying a blistering turn of foot at the top of the straight and Model Man failed by 1,25 lengths to catch him.

“Two strides past the line he was in front,” recalled Marcus, and even after all of these years his voice tails off in disappointment.

Marcus revealed his fancies for this year’s race, first Edict Of Nantes, second Al Sahem and third Black Arthur.

He said, “Those two three-year-olds are progressive and Black Arthur has come back to his best.”

By David Thiselton