He is not the biggest of horses, he isn't a 3-year-old and he had to lump top weight of 60kgs around the 2200 metres of the R4.25-million G1 Vodacom Durban July. Yet what Marinaresco (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}) lacks in stature he makes up for with an extraordinary turn of foot and a fierce determination to be first across the line.
A little more than a year ago Marinaresco was not considered good enough to contest the Durban July and was left at home in the Cape to contest the Winter Series instead. Victory in all three legs saw Marinaresco hurriedly bundled onto a float and sent off to join the rest of the Bass stable for the remainder of the Durban season. Then assistant trainer Candice Bass-Robinson said she remembers still doubting even then whether he was good enough to compete in the premier race. Petite Marinaresco surprised everybody by flying up late under a driving ride by Grant van Niekerk, just failing to catch The Conglomerate (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}) by a quarter of a length.
Saturday, Greyville, South Africa
VODACOM DURBAN JULY-G1, R4,250,000, GRV, 7-1, 3yo/up, 11fT, 2:12.51, gd.
1–MARINARESCO (SAF), 132, g, 4, by Silvano (Ger)
1st Dam: Gay Fortuna (Saf) (MSP-SAf), by Fort Wood
2nd Dam: Gay Regina (SAf), by Sportsworld
3rd Dam: Welsh Damsel (SAf), by Elliodor (Fr)
(R1,300,000 yrl '14 SADAPR) O-M W Bass, F Green, Bryn
Ressell & N M Shirtliff; B-Mauritzfontein Stud (SAF); T-Candice
Bass-Robinson; J-Bernard Fayd'Herbe. R2,500,000. Lifetime
Record: Ch. 3YO Colt-SAf, 18-6-4-4, R5,085,425. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*.
2–Al Sahem (SAf), 118, c, 3, Silvano (Ger)–Alderry (SAf), by Al
Mufti. O-Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd; B-Al Adiyaat (Sheikh
Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum) (SAF); T-Sean Tarry.
R800,000.
3–Edict of Nantes (SAf), 119, c, 3, Count Dubois (GB)–Pagan
Dance (SAf), by Jet Master (SAf). O-Mayfair Speculators (Pty)
Ltd (Nom: D L Brugman); B-Klawervlei Stud (SAF); T-Brett
Crawford. R400,000.
Margins: SHD, NK, SHD. Odds: 17.00, 4.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: *Krambambuli (SAf), *Nightingale (SAf), Horizon (SAf), Black Arthur (SAf), It's My Turn (SAf), French Navy (SAf), Ten Gun Salute (Aus), Master Sabina (SAf), Brazuca (Aus), The Conglomerate (Aus), Tilbury Fort (SAf), Saratoga Dancer (SAf), Pagoda (SAf), Safe Harbour (SAf), Mr Winsome (SAf). Scratched: Elusive Silva (SAf), Nebula (SAf).
*Dead-heated for fourth.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
Twelve months on and it was deja vu on Saturday as Marinaresco, this time with Bernard Fayd'Herbe in the saddle, raced along eight lengths back as It's My Turn and Piere Strydom led the field down the back straight. Matters did not improve as the field rounded the final bend and fanned out for the run to the line. Fayd'Herbe steered the still trailing Marinaresco off the fence looking for an inside passage, but instead he found a wall of horses blocking his way. Fayd'Herbe, however, is not one to panic. He had won the July before and he knew exactly how long that home straight was. Yet, it takes a brave man to sit still and wait patiently for that much-needed gap to appear. With no clear passage in sight and 200 metres left to go, Fayd'Herbe was forced to angle Marinaresco out back towards the outside rail, weaving his way between horses. With daylight finally ahead of him, Fayd'Herbe unleashed Marinaresco's famous turn of foot, sending him flying after the leaders.
Up front the cavalcade of Al Sahem, Nightingale (SAf) (Silvano {Ger}), Krambambuli (SAf) (Black Minnaloushe), It's My Turn (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}), Edict Of Nantes and Horizon (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}) were locked in a fierce battle. It seemed as if the flying Marinaresco had once again left it too late. Fayd'Herbe, however, in the famous colours of Pocket Power that had seen him lift the Vodacom Durban July trophy once before, was not about to give up. Flat on the gelding's neck he steered Marinaresco straight for the line, catching the leaders with ever stride.
When the line came it was Marinaresco whose head was in front. Al Sahem finished in second with the gap a mere 0.1 lengths, followed by Edict Of Nantes a further quarter-length back. Marinareso won in a time of 2:12.51, giving Bass- Robinson a victory in the country's premier race in her first year as trainer. In the process she also became the first female trainer to win the coveted race in its 120-year history.
“I just needed a split,” said an ecstatic Fayd'Herbe. “I was waiting for him to get going and I gave him a few little taps. He took off and I was like 'phew,' I think I am going to get there. I might have won by a small margin, but I had plenty of horse underneath me.”
Bass-Robinson was understandably delighted and attributed the victory to a change in her training of Marinaresco after a series of losses. “After last year's second placing, we tried to get Marinaresco to race handier, but it just didn't suit him. Once we backed off and allowed him to race as he liked, coming from way off the pace with that devastating turn of foot, he became much happier and we knew we had the Marinaresco of old back.”
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