A Quiet Week-end With Two Last Minute Saviours

Michael Roberts with Calypso Queen (Photo Gold Circle)We had an uncharacteristically silent week at the races, with very few entries, and where we thought we had several good chances, these were put paid to with the cancellation of meetings in Cape Town and Durban, following torrential rain. So it was left to the two jockeys, and great ones at that, to get us out of jail. Michael Roberts, history’s winning-most rider in terms of Championships, got us over the line (as a trainer, of course) with CALYPSO QUEEN at Scottsville Sunday, only to be followed in the next by Basil Marcus, his greatest riding rival in the next with GOVERNATOR.

The first is a beautifully bred daughter of Rambo Dancer from the family of Wolf Power, Artistry and Wolf Whistle (for Tony Moodley, Chips Pennells etc), while Basil’s charge looked like stamina is becoming his suit when he hacked up over 1950 metres.

Governator (Photo Gold Circle)This was GOVERNATOR’S third win (two over ground) and showed just how difficult it is to predict a horses’ stamina credentials. Owned by our great friend, Andrew Yuen from Hong Kong, he is a son of the fastest English Juvenile of his year (Fard) out of a daughter of one of the most “rapid” runners we’ve ever produced (Harry Hotspur), from one of the world’s fastest female lines (Mumtaz  Mahal, foundation mare for the Aga Khan).

To cap it, Basil thinks he could be a “Cup” horse next year, and believes two miles may be within his reach.