From a six-time tried Mike de Kock Gauteng maiden to eight on the trot, including a first stakes success with Alan Greeff in the Eastern Cape.
That’s the tale of two cities for Michael Javett and Mary Slack owned Soft Falling Rain gelding Marmara Sea, who showed guts and courage when holding on long enough to win the Listed Memorial Mile at Fairview on Friday.
Marmara Sea (Greg Cheyne) beats Earth Hour (Louis Mxothwa) in a thriller (Pic -Pauline Herman Photography)
Ridgemont Highlands jockey Greg Cheyne has been aboard at six of the eight wins, with Teaque Gould sharing the honours, and even though the weights were tilted against another chapter in the fairytale on Friday, Marmara Sea carried too many guns for his opposition – despite being stretched late by Juan Nel’s evergreen 7yo Earth Hour, who kept the result on a knife edge in the final 200m,
Marmara Sea (9-10) beat Earth Hour (3-1) in a time of 95,43 secs. He was one of three winners on the afternoon for the Greeff – Cheyne combination.
The rest didn’t matter much.
A versatile winner from 1000m to a mile, Marmara Sea clearly relishes the polytrack.
The winner is by the deceased international champion Soft Falling Rain (National Assembly) and a first foal for the Australian-bred Alboran Sea, who raced for the same Slack-Javett partnership.
Alboran Sea raced only 10 times for five wins and four places, amassing stake earnings of R2,062-million.
She won the Gr1 Cape Flying Chamionship and the Gr1 Computaform Sprint in one season.
Alboran Sea – top quality
Alboran Sea was an A$105 000 Inglis Premier purchase. By Rock Of Gibraltar she is out of the US bred daughter of Toolighttoquit, Lady’s Light. Bred by Rosemont Stud, Alboran Sea hails from a big American Black Type family.
What is probably not a highlight of the reality of owning such a game and talented horse is that Marmara Sea’s eight wins, including a stakes race, and three places, has earned him just R281 425.
His illustrious Mom won more than double that in 56,53 secs six years ago on a sunny Saturday at Kenilworth when she won the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship.
We are fortunate that there are still powerful people around who race more for the love of it than for the money.
