Last year’s runner-up Marinaresco went one better in this year’s Durban July to take home the spoils at Greyville Racecourse on Saturday.
Marinaresco became the first horse since Pocket Power in 2008 to win the July with a top weight of 60kg. Ironically, Marinaresco ran in the same silks as Pocket Power in 2008.
The victorious jockey on Marinaresco was Bernard Fayd’herbe, who also won with Pocket Power in 2008, so it was almost like it was meant to be in the R4.25 million race over 2 200m on Saturday.
The historical links with Marinaresco and Pocket Power don’t end there. The trainer of the 2017 winner, Candice Bass-Robinson, is the daughter of renowned trainer Mike Bass, who trained three July winners in his career – including, you guessed it, Pocket Power!
Video: #DurbanJuly race finale @IOL @SundayTribuneSA pic.twitter.com/vEOBAmyuwU
— Sihle Mlambo (@SihleSays) July 1, 2017
The four-year-old gelding Marinaresco was a 14/1 outsider at the bookies, so it would’ve been a handsome return for some punters too at Greyville as Fayd’herbe put in a late charge to take the honours.
Al Sahem (9/2) finished in second place, with Edict of Nantes (5/1) third.