He Chats about All Of His Rides On The Big Day
Bernard Fayd’Herbe would have liked to have stayed aboard Al Muthana after partnering him to victory in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate, but circumstances did not allow it, and he is also happy to be aboard the superstar Do It Again in Saturday’s WSB Met.
Bernard explained, “I told Mr Maingard before the King’s Plate that I had been pre-engaged to ride one of the Snaith horses for the Met. After the King’s Plate the Snaiths allowed me the option to stay with Al Muthana if I wished but when I spoke to Mr Maingard he told me he had already gone ahead and booked Piere Strydom.”
He continued, “It is always nice to stay with a horse you have just won a weight for age Grade 1 on. Al Muthana is rated the best horse in the country at present, but I am happy to be on Do It Again too, although I think it is going to be hard for either of them to beat Jet Dark. Whoever beats Jet Dark is going to win the Met and I hope it will be Do It Again.”
Fayd’Herbe rode Do It Again in the first seven starts of his career, which included a second place finish in the Grade 1 Cape Derby over the Met course and distance and a win in the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
He also rode the big Twice Over gelding to fifth place in last year’s Met.
“I am going to Try It Again,” quipped Bernard.
Asked whether the evergreen eight-year-old was as good as he once was he replied, “Yes … definitely. He is doing very well at the moment too.”
In that case Do It Again is outstanding value at 33/1, considering he finished a 0,75 length second to Rainbow Bridge in the Met in 2019, which was the best finish of his four runs in the big race. That is not to mention he is also a former Equus Horse Of The Year.
Bernard has won the Met three times, twice on Pocket Power in 2008 and 2009, and on Futura in 2015.
Do It Again is drawn eight.
Bernard is hoping for a good pace and he believes the one who might set it is Pomp And Power.
Bernard is the King Of Kenilworth at present, having won the inaugural running of the L’Ormarins King’s Plate, and perhaps he will also be given the freedom of the metropolitan area of Cape Town if able to land the Met as well.
He has in fact done that prestigious double three times before, because all three of his Met wins were preceded by victories on the same horse in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.
He is bullish about one of his other Grade 1 rides on the day.
He revealed, “Adam Azzie told me Supreme Warrior has been doing extremely well and he said I should not be surprised if I win the race (The wfa Pongracz Cape Flying Championship over 1000m).”
Supreme Warrior tended to take a strong hold over a mile, a trip over which he has a second place finish to Zapatillas in the Grade 2 WSB Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville to his name, so it is not surprising they have brought him back to 1000m.
Last time out, his first run for six months, he gave the promising Taikonaut 8,5kg and failed by a shorthead to beat him over the Turffontein Standside 1000m.
Bernard revealed the Azzies had sought him for the ride because the horse needed a strong rider to settle him.
Supreme Warrior jumps from draw 6 and should relish the tough Kenilworth 1000m course and distance.
“Big Race Bernard” also rides in the other Grade 1 on the day, the wfa Schweppes Majorca stakes for fillies and mares over 1600, where he is aboard the Snaith-trained Silver Darling.
He said it would be slightly on the sharp side for her and he believed it would be hard to beat both Captain’s Ransom and Desert Miracle. However, he said on the plus side Kevin Sommerville, the racing manager of Drakenstein Stud, had allowed him free rein to ride Silver Darling the way he wanted to.
So it will be interesting to see what tactics the experienced stalwart employs.
Bernard also has a ride in the WSB R7,5 million Gold Rush over 1600m.
He is aboard the Snaith-trained Triple Time, who has shown some promise, so could surprise from draw two.
However, Fayd’herbe reckons this Twice Over colt needs gelding.
He said, “Royal Aussie will be hard to beat, he has real class. Dave The King is also one to watch, Christophe Soumillon is the perfect rider for him.”
Bernard has two other rides on the day Tothemoonandback and Kitchakal in race 5 and race 11 respectively and he reckoned those two races were wide open.
He said it would be tough and competitive throughout the day and he was looking forward to a fantastic day’s racing.
He is awaiting news from Mauritius regarding his long term plans.
There is a lot of political turmoil in racing over there at present but he himself believed the worst was over and said there were some very good plans for racing going forward.
