Not for first time is Marshall eyeing Durban July glory
14 May 2023 - 18:18
byDAVID MOLLETT
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Veteran trainer Vaughan Marshall has seen this movie before.
2021: The Cape-based conditioner had a strong hand in his attempt for a first Durban July win with fancied contenders in Linebacker and Rascallion. They finished second and fifth respectively.
2022: Linebacker — backed down to 6-1 to finally crack a July win for Marshall — was never at the races finishing 14th of the 18 runners.
2023: Rascallion — back in the premier league after recovering from injury — has Marshall dreaming again following an eye-catching run when finishing third in Saturday's WSB 1900 at Greyville.
“An excellent run especially as we were giving the winner [Pacaya] 8kg and the second horse [Winchester Mansion] 10kg,” enthused Marshall after the grade 2 race.
The question now is who will get the call to partner Rascallion on Saturday July 1? Sean Veale rode the gelding in the 2021 July and again when the five-year-old ran into all sorts of trouble in the Cape Met in January. Corné Orffer was in the saddle last Saturday.
What we do know is that those Business Day readers — advised to back Rascallion for the July when he was a 20-1 chance after the Met — will be smiling from ear to ear on Monday if they followed that advice. The sponsors quote the son of Vercingetorix at 7.14-1.
Justin Snaith will also have left the Durban track in buoyant mood on Saturday as his WSB 1900 winner, Pacaya, is now guaranteed a slot in the final July field. A son of Trippi, Pacaya was looking an expensive buy at R600,000 until he won the Jet Master Stakes at Kenilworth in February. His July price has predictably been cut to 10-1.
Snaith was understandably pleased with Pacaya’s win and said he felt the outcome of this year’s July might “come down to jockeyship and draws”.
Richard Fourie again produced the goods when it mattered and he rode one of his usual driving finishes to get the better of Brett Crawford’s four-year-old, Winchester Mansion. It was the Trippi gelding’s best performance to date and — as a winner of the 2,400m Cape Derby — there are no stamina worries for the July.
It looks as if stamina caught out Quasiforsure in his first try at 1,900m. Peter Muscutt’s four-year-old now looks an unlikely July starter.
Cape Eagle — beaten two lengths — took the fourth cheque and fared much better than Aragosta who beat only one rival home.
This columnist always felt Captain Fontane’s younger legs might prove too sprightly for eight-year-old Do It Again in Saturday’s fourth race and so it proved. The-five year-old’s win will have delighted former champion trainer David Ferraris who now knows he co-owns a horse on the upgrade.
Still, Snaith will probably be satisfied with the performance of his dual Durban July winner, Do It Again, who did his best work late to finish third.
Time Flies added another R93,750 to Brett Crawford’s already impressive stakes total this term by taking top honours in the KRA East Coast Cup over 2,000m. This was win number five from just nine starts for the daughter of Dynasty and another success for the Hollywood Syndicate which is welcoming winners at practically every KwaZulu-Natal meeting.
Making her second appearance after a three-month break, Dawnofanewday tried her best to notch her fifth win and took her earnings to over R400,00 by taking the runner-up cheque for Drakenstein Stud.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Not for first time is Marshall eyeing Durban July glory
Veteran trainer Vaughan Marshall has seen this movie before.
2021: The Cape-based conditioner had a strong hand in his attempt for a first Durban July win with fancied contenders in Linebacker and Rascallion. They finished second and fifth respectively.
2022: Linebacker — backed down to 6-1 to finally crack a July win for Marshall — was never at the races finishing 14th of the 18 runners.
2023: Rascallion — back in the premier league after recovering from injury — has Marshall dreaming again following an eye-catching run when finishing third in Saturday's WSB 1900 at Greyville.
“An excellent run especially as we were giving the winner [Pacaya] 8kg and the second horse [Winchester Mansion] 10kg,” enthused Marshall after the grade 2 race.
The question now is who will get the call to partner Rascallion on Saturday July 1? Sean Veale rode the gelding in the 2021 July and again when the five-year-old ran into all sorts of trouble in the Cape Met in January. Corné Orffer was in the saddle last Saturday.
What we do know is that those Business Day readers — advised to back Rascallion for the July when he was a 20-1 chance after the Met — will be smiling from ear to ear on Monday if they followed that advice. The sponsors quote the son of Vercingetorix at 7.14-1.
Justin Snaith will also have left the Durban track in buoyant mood on Saturday as his WSB 1900 winner, Pacaya, is now guaranteed a slot in the final July field. A son of Trippi, Pacaya was looking an expensive buy at R600,000 until he won the Jet Master Stakes at Kenilworth in February. His July price has predictably been cut to 10-1.
Snaith was understandably pleased with Pacaya’s win and said he felt the outcome of this year’s July might “come down to jockeyship and draws”.
Richard Fourie again produced the goods when it mattered and he rode one of his usual driving finishes to get the better of Brett Crawford’s four-year-old, Winchester Mansion. It was the Trippi gelding’s best performance to date and — as a winner of the 2,400m Cape Derby — there are no stamina worries for the July.
It looks as if stamina caught out Quasiforsure in his first try at 1,900m. Peter Muscutt’s four-year-old now looks an unlikely July starter.
Cape Eagle — beaten two lengths — took the fourth cheque and fared much better than Aragosta who beat only one rival home.
This columnist always felt Captain Fontane’s younger legs might prove too sprightly for eight-year-old Do It Again in Saturday’s fourth race and so it proved. The-five year-old’s win will have delighted former champion trainer David Ferraris who now knows he co-owns a horse on the upgrade.
Still, Snaith will probably be satisfied with the performance of his dual Durban July winner, Do It Again, who did his best work late to finish third.
Time Flies added another R93,750 to Brett Crawford’s already impressive stakes total this term by taking top honours in the KRA East Coast Cup over 2,000m. This was win number five from just nine starts for the daughter of Dynasty and another success for the Hollywood Syndicate which is welcoming winners at practically every KwaZulu-Natal meeting.
Making her second appearance after a three-month break, Dawnofanewday tried her best to notch her fifth win and took her earnings to over R400,00 by taking the runner-up cheque for Drakenstein Stud.
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