Marchland is well clear at the line under Muzi Yeni (Picture: Race Coast)
For a second year running the Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes was won by an East Cape raider, with the unbeaten Kelly Mitchley-trained Malmoos filly Marchland doing it this year under Muzi Yeni by an easy 3,30 lengths from Doesyourmotherknow (Master Of My Fate) with Royal Tiara (Rafeef) next best.
In Sunday’s 1600m race at Hollywoodbets Greyville on World Pool Gold Cup day the hot favourite Alice B Toklas (Master Of My Fate) was viewed as a banker by many but after being held up she ended up too far back behind a slow pace and had too much to do in the straight. She finished a 4,25 length fourth, but a line can be drawn through the run and she will bounce back.
The fifth-placed horse Hoc Est Vista (Canford Cliffs) also ran on well, despite odds of 125/1, and was only beaten 5,95 lengths.
Malmoos will be crowned Champion Freshman Sire with nine winners of 14 races with just one day of the season remaining, but the pity is that had the race not been downgraded he would have already had a Gr 1 winner.
This was Mitchley’s first ever raid to Durban.
It follows that with Listed races being the highest class of race in Gqeberha this Gr 2 win was her biggest ever win.
It was a fine training feat by Mitchley considering she generally only had the poly track available to work on in recent weeks due to the continual rainstorms.
Owner Mervin Govender’s son and daughter led Marchland in.
The Lammerskraal Stud-bred filly looks capable of training on.
In Sunday’s race, after jumping from draw 6, Muzi Yeni got Marchland handy early and managed to ease her on to the rail into third place behind the pace set by Doesyourmotherknow with Impressive in second.
Marchland slipped through on the rail in the straight, showing an impressive turn of foot.
She had put the race to bed by the 100m mark.
Golden Palm was touted to go on to big things after her impressive two-year-old season and it hasn’t materialised, so there has to be caution excercised in making bold predictions about Marchland.
However, there is little doubt she is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
She is out of the one time-winning Western Winter mare Marcheline and is a half-sister to Field Marshall, who had gone within 0,80 lengths of winning the first race on World Pool Gold Cup day, the Listed Tote Stakes Darley Arabian over 1600m.
