Queen Elizabeth II’s runner Reach For The Moon was a red-hot 2-5 favourite to win the Hampton Court Stakes, but the colt was given a galloping lesson by Claymore, owned by South Africa’s Mark Slack. Picture: iStock.
If only horses could talk and tell us of what they want. You often hear trainers say things like this, but the wiser among them know horses can and do communicate – without yammering on boringly like humans.
Take Marmara Sea, who runs at Fairview on Tuesday in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1600m.
This guy was bred in the purple, owned by the best sort of people and put in the care of the cream of trainers. But something wasn’t quite right for the colt – and he tried to let it be known by not performing to potential on the racecourse.
Someone was listening, thankfully, heard the plea and moved him to an entirely new environment. He started talking, so to speak.
After six runs on the Highveld for Mike de Kock, Marmara Sea was a disappointment, having managed a second place and a couple of fourths. So, he was shipped off to the seaside and Alan Greeff’s stables at Fairview.
Put into a 1000m sprint on the Polytrack – despite his best showing having come over a mile – Marmara Sea won in a canter. He then won seven more times on the Poly in the space of 11 months, over distances up to a mile, and was hailed as the best horse racing in Eastern Cape.
Talk about saying thank you.
A short break and a reversion to turf saw the unbeaten run end, but soon thereafter came another three wins on the trot – including on the turf and over 1800m.
This son of Soft Falling Rain out of well-performed mare Alboran Sea (by Rock Of Gibraltar) is classy and versatile and has no snobbish complaints about living and racing at an unfashionable centre.
On Tuesday, he is back on the Poly after two unsuccessful efforts on turf and will be many punters’ choice of a card banker in Race 6. Greg Cheyne, who has been aboard for seven of his 11 victories, is in the saddle.
Listen up.
SELECTIONS
1: 6 Social Spirit, 3 Temple Bar, 9 Bold Leah, 1 Ladonna Mia
2: 10 Knave Of Diamonds, 4 Act Of Thunder, 1 Notorix, 3 Dawn Raider
3: 13 St Patrick’s Day, 4 Boy Named Sue, 1 Jacksonville, 12 Grace Lightning
4: 5 To The Max, 7 Abia, 1 Diamonds And Toads, 10 Dancing Girl
5: 2 Homer Fidget, 10 The Sands, 13 Silver Celebrity, 1 Baltic Beat
6: 1 Marmara Sea, 4 Grazinginthegrass, 11 Zig Zag, 7 Encryption
7: 2 Evies First, 1 What A Winner, 9 Vista Nova, 6 Freedom Seeker
8: 8 Princess Of Winter, 10 Just The Wind, 9 Under My Hat, 1 Flaming Lass
Pick 6: 1,4,7,11,12,13 x 1,5,7 x 1,2,10,13 x 1,4,11 x 1,2,6,9 x 8,10 (R1728)
PA: 4,10 x 1,4,13 x 5,7 x 2,10 x 1 x 1,2 x 8 (R48)