Son Of Raj provided a milestone moment for the Steven Chetty family (Picture: Candiese Lenferna).
Weiho Marwing has for a long time been feared when sending a horse over a stamina test and his Grade 1 SA Derby winner Son Of Raj is not the first horse he has turned from a low key handicapper into a top class stayer.
Another example was Hermoso Mundo, who landed SA’s staying triple crown, the Gold Bowl, the Gold Vase and the Gold Cup.
Marwing cemented this reputation on Saturday.
Son Of Raj made his Highveld debut on January 22 off a 71 merit rating and, although it was just his fourth career start and he won the 1800m handicap contest by a length beating the R7 million purchase Celestial City, few would have envisioned him being a Grade 1 winner just over two months later.
On Saturday after the SA Derby victory, Marwing once again thanked his mentor Ormond Ferraris, from whom he learnt how to get a horse super fit.
The race was also a triumph for the Steven Chetty family of Durban as well as for South Africa’s champion jockey elect Keagan de Melo, who proved himself once again the best jockey of the season.
The early pace in the SA Derby was a crawl and it was then taken up by the rank outsider River Romeo but did not hasten up much.
De Melo had brought Son Of Raj into the early leading line from a wide draw and he was then content to sit on River Romeo’s flank.
He had no cover but Son Of Raj neverthless relaxed well despite wearing blinkers, which Marwing had introduced after acquiring this former KZN horse midway through the season.
The favourite Billy Bowlegs was going to rely on his fine turn of foot coupled with his resolute finish, over a trip his pedigree suggested he should get.
Gavin Lerena had dropped him out to last from his wide draw.
However, by the time they had reached the straight there would have been concerns in his camp, because any horse that was going to stay on strongly off the slow pace was going to be hard to catch.
It was no surprise the one who did manage to do so was trained by Marwing.
Son Of Raj’s dam Freudiana is by stamina influence Black Minnaloushe and is a half-sister to Rippling Ring, who finished third in the SA Derby, having earlier won over 2400m and then won the Derby Trial over 2200m. Son Of Raj had only once tried the Derby distance and it did not augur well that he could only manage a 1,40 length fourth in a MR 66 Handicap off a 75 merit rating. However, Marwing had also acquired his full brother Arumugam from KZN and had transformed him into a quality stayer, winning two Listed events on the Highveld over 2400m and 3200m respectively.
De Melo was well aware of the situation and pounced at the top of the straight.
The gelding stayed on resolutely for the entire straight chased initially by Rule By Force.
Billy Bowlegs had an impossible task, having to make up about ten lengths, and did well to run on for a 2,25 length second with Rule By Force next best in a strung out field ahead of Future Pearl and Top Sail.
Keagan de Melo rode Steven Chetty’s first winner and now his first Grade 1 winner.
