Adam Marcus was very chuffed with himself after Dance Variety flashed up late to win the largest chunk of R200,000 on offer in the Easter Sprint over 1000m at Kenilworth on Wednesday afternoon.
Understandably so. This was the son of Var’s seventh career win – his first in Adam’s own silks since he signed a lease to race Dance Variety from breeder Sherwin Jerrier last October.
Marcus commented: “He had good form until there was a lapse and we discovered some heart issues, which were treatable. Sherwin kindly agreed that I could persist with Dance Variety.
“We did a lot of work with him behind the scenes, and I have to pay compliments to the vets and physio, who gave us the all clear to race him. We changed his supplements, got on top of his issues. He is a very special horse and if there was ever one to lease, he was the one.”
Jockey Calvin Habib felt that he gave Dance Variety too much to do in the Diadem Stakes, when they were well beaten by Questioning. He said: “Adam and I discussed this and decided to ride him for luck. That’s the way he likes it, he wants to run at horses. There was bumping and boring, he was balked for an run but he got out late and ran them down.”
Habib added: “He is such a cool horse to ride. He gives his best and does a lot of things right.”
Marcus and Habib also won Race 5 over 1200m with Meg’s Legacy, who outpaced her rivals and looks like a filly who will win again soon.
