David Thiselton

 

The Vaughan Marshall-trained Vibe Check was one of the meeting bankers on Hollywoodbets Durban July day and he not only duly delivered, but likely won many new fans in the process as this strongly built, imposing colt has a rare presence about him.

 

Marshall has said the Maine Chance Farms-bred Querari colt would be even better suited to 1600m, so fans can possibly look forward to him running again on World Pool Gold Cup day, although he has unfortunately drawn very wide.

 

In the Gr 2 Omoda Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on Saturday the big horse jumped well from pole position under Sean Veale and was soon using his massive stride out in front with the rest of the field looking like whippets behind him.

 

Veale revealed later that Vibe Check had been very green and he had battled to get him to corner.

 

The big bay kept going well in the straight  and fended off late challenges from Green Energy, Secretary Bird and Red Spice to win by 0,40 lengths.

 

Veale pointed out Vibe Check was still growing and had put on 7kg since his last start.

 

He said, “There is a lot of improvement to come.”

 

What makes the Vibe Check story even more compelling is that he races in a famous set of silks that have resurfaced.

 

The colours white with red stars and a green cap used to be owned by two former Chairmen  of the Durban Turf Club Douglas Saunders and his son Chris, who won two Julys together with these colours, Jollify winning it for them in 1967 in the big race’s most famous finish, the dead-heat with the immortal Sea Cottage, and then ironically winning it with Sea Cottage’s half-brother Naval Escort in 1969.

 

The colours have been taken over by Irishman Seamus Burns, whose family own Lodge Park Stud,  a highly esteemed thoroughbred breeding farm and racehorse nursery situated in Freshford, County Kilkenny, Ireland.

 

Seamus apparently has an annual holiday to Cape Town, or at least used to, that coincides with the like of the Race Coast Sales Premier Yearling Sale and he is no stranger to big race success in South Africa, winning the Gr 1 Gold Medallion with the Vaugan Marshall-trained Ambiorix (Vercingetorix) in 2021.

 

In the Gr 1 Premiers Champion Stakes on World Pool Gold Cup day Vibe Check has drawn 34 out of the 36 entries.

 

Marshall did say on Saturday after the win that Vibe Check would take his place in the latter race, but he might think twice from a draw that is going to end up very wide. On the other hand the big horse’s front-running style might make it well worth having a go as his early pace could see him finding the rail in front without expending too much energy.

 

Vibe Check cost R650,000 at the Race Coast Summer Sale last year.