The Missing Link

Ghostly! Anton Marcus guides the De Kock-trained Link Man to an emphatic victory in the Gr3 Joburg Spring Challenge

Link Man put the cherry on top of a rewarding day at the office for De Kock. Besides taking the Gr3 feature double, he also trained two other winners, three of which were ridden by Anton Marcus.

This was only Link Man’s fourth start of 2012 and after a collective 43 lengths behind the winners at his last three starts, it was not easy to label him a good thing – even if it so happened that Marcus was aboard and he was also the highest rated horse in a WFA contest. But when in doubt, trust De Kock to deliver the lost treasure!

The race included some smart sorts who were returning from breaks, and besides Link Man, Snowdon and to a lesser degree Pierre Jourdan, the hotshots didn’t come up trumps.

Ormonde Ferraris’ Snowdon jumped keenly and led Chesalon with Zambucca and Kings Entourage further back. After they had settled with 400m run , Chesalon had been eased back six lengths with Pierre Jourdan in last position.

At the 1000m marker the longshot Wittenberg settled into a lead from Kings Entourage while Snowdon, Soweto Slew, Zorba’s Tale  were a little further back.

Into the straight Wittenberg soldiered on as Sherman Brown got stuck into Snowdon, with Zorba’s Tale finishing well.

Happy Day. Anton Marcus rode 3 winners on the afternoon.

Link Man swept forward down the inside rail at 28-10 and held off the rejuvenated pensioner Zorba’s Tale by 1,25 lengths in a time of 85,77 secs. This was 0,31secs slower than Link Man’s stablemate Festival Of Fire forty minutes earlier.

The Aussie-bred 8yo Zorba’s Tale went off at 45-1 and ran a terrific race at unfavourable weight terms. The consistent Snowdon had every chance and stayed on for the third cheque.

So, besides the De Kock factor,  how do we unravel the mystery of Link Man’s apparent sudden return to stardom?

We couldn’t have him here, even though Joe Public stuck loyally with him and again made him their favourite. A winner of his only previous start over this course and distance, Link Man, a previous  Gr1, Gr2 and Gr3 winner, has always threatened to repeat the level of ability that saw him win the Gr1 Gold Medallion as a 2yo in scintillating fashion.

His form in his three runs this year has not been impressive, but there were probably excuses if we dig deep enough. He ran over 16 lengths off Gimmethegreenlight in the Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate in January, but was reported to have bled and was slapped with the mandatory suspension.

He then came out just over four months later on Scottsville’s big sprint jackpot raceday, and ran over 17 lengths behind Delago Deluxe in the Gr1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint. But again there were mitigating factors. He jumped awkwardly and his saddle slipped – and let us not overlook the fact that the Scottsville surface that afternoon cast a dark shadow over the day, with much negative speculation and debate in the weeks following.

Two weeks later Link Man was scratched from the Gold Challenge, apparently off his feed.

He returned to action after a four month break and gelding in the Hampton Handicap in episode 1 of the Emerald Cup Raceday. He was slow away in the 1000m sand dash, and never got into the race – finishing 9,75 lengths behind shock winner Be Assured.

On Saturday, he was a different animal and may yet go on to reward his die-hard followers.

There were a few disappointments here. The three major were the Woodruff runner Golden Crest,  the former Mike Bass gelding Chesalon, and then Hassen Adams’ Oratorio colt Soweto Slew. None  of whom made any show.

Golden Crest will come along with the outing as he had not run since his Jubilee Handicap second to Eton Square in June.

Now with Mike Azzie, Chesalon, who had not run since finishing unplaced in the Champions Cup on Super-Saturday,  was quietly fancied by the betting public and went off 4-1 second favourite. He could do no better than finish 7,25 lengths off in seventh position.

Soweto Slew found things tough and finished a half length behind Chesalon.

Pierre Jourdan always warrants a mention. The much hyped now 6yo son of Parade Leader started a joint 33-10 second favourite with Snowdon and appeared under pressure at the rear in the early stages as Piere Strydom urged him to get involved. He eventually made up some ground, but then only when Link Man was already being unsaddled. Pierre Jourdan dead-heated with Zambucca for fourth and 3,25 lengths behind the winner, and is bound to have benefitted from the run

Link Man was bred by the Tawny Syndicate and is by Toreador out of the Among Men mare Western Smoke, who never won a race.

The 5yo gelding has run 17 times for 7 wins and 6 places. He took his career stake earnings with this win to R1 617 250.

We’ve labelled him mercurial. We’ve suggested he is enigmatic. He may even be something of an equine Jekyll and Hyde. But there is no denying his capabilities on the track when on song.

The pressure will now be on Link Man to build on this great performance next time out.

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