David Mollett
9 May 2008
Johannesburg — SOUTH African participation in next week's $3m Singapore Airlines Cup has increased with jockey Weichong Marwing confirmed as the rider of Herman Brown's runner, Mourilyan.
While Brown's Dubai Duty Free victor, Jay Peg, to be partnered again by Anton Marcus, is SA's best chance of landing this top international race, Marwing will be hoping Mourilyan can improve his record in this 2000m event. He has made five trips to Singapore but has only managed two fourth placings.
Marwing finished fourth on Olympic Express in 2002, and filled the same position on Mike de Kock's runner, Right Approach, in 2005.
Another jockey booking for the May 18 race is top local rider, Soo Khoon Beng, who will ride King and King for trainer Desmond Koh following the withdrawal of Floral Pegasus.
Whatever his fate in the big race, Marwing should go close in the supporting feature -- the $1m Krisflyer Sprint -- in which he will partner Star Crowned for UAE trainer, Rasheed Bouresly.
Marwing has six booked rides at Turffontein tomorrow, with winning prospects on Dancing Jessica (first race), Gold On Gold (fifth) and Lake With Swans in the final leg of the Pick 6. Gold On Gold, trained at Turffontein by Ormond Ferraris, is probably the pick of this trio as the three-year-old is overdue another win after two seconds and a third in his last three outings.
The gelding's second behind Classic Oasis over tomorrow's course and distance in March looks useful form after the bold effort by that winner to capture last Saturday's SA Derby.
Piere Strydom, the top jockey at the Champions Day meeting, will again be the man to beat in this race as he partners the in-form filly, Firebird Rising, for trainer Dominic Zaki.
Dancing Jessica will be out to recoup losses in the first race after failing to justify favouritism at the Vaal last month. Both Kimberly Cruise and another Strydom mount, On The Bluff, are better drawn, but it will be a surprise if Marwing's mount doesn't take a hand in the finish.
Flo Quest stunned punters when winning at odds of 33-1 at Randjesfontein last month, and the gelding bids to show that effort wasn't a flash in the pan when he takes on eight rivals in the sixth race.
Sean Tarry's three-year-old faces no easy task as Therealslimshady boasts consistent form and Geoff Woodruff's runner, Mercutio, will prefer reverting to a shorter trip. It might be unwise to ignore Mike de Kock's entry, Art of War, who made a mockery of his starting price of 45-1 when fifth behind Imbongi in the KZN Guineas.
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