DESERT LINKS delight for Basil Marcus

Basil Marcus
(Summerhill Stud)

Desert Links by KAHAL, a graduate of the Summerhill Ready to Run programme, delighted his connections by winning  Saturday’s R200 000 Cup Trial (Gr3) over 1800m at Clairwood.
 
Tab Online reports that this success should bring him very close to making the final field for the Vodacom Durban July.

Desert Links likes to race “cold’’, in the words of jockey Greg Cheyne, who had him ten lengths off the pace, three quarters of the way back, while Angel Flight went around the field from the widest of draws to set the pace under Piere Strydom and Surfin’ USA Braggadacio followed Sean Tarry’s filly into the straight, with Likeithot and Bucked Off further back.

Desert Links moved up swiftly and sliced through the field to take up the running at the 200m mark. Angel Flight was hanging tough, but Greg Cheyne said: “He changed legs and then gave me more to win a good race.’’ Tropical Empire unleashed a strong late run on the outside but was still 0.5 lengths adrift at the line, where Greg Cheyne eased his mount down.

Trainer Basil Marcus praised Denis Drier for looking after Desert Links in Durban. “Denis did a superb job,’’ said Basil Marcus.