Rascallion, in the centre, in action during the 2023 L'Ormarins King's Plate at Kenilworth Racecourse on January 7, last year. Picture: Yolanda Saayman/Gallo Images
An intriguing partnership has sprung up which could soon make waves — an unexpected power alliance between veteran Cape trainer Vaughan Marshall and Joburg-based jockey Gavin Lerena. The pairing is on fire, like a spark to crackly, dry veld.
Marshall and Lerena have teamed up from time to time, without ever becoming an item, so to speak. And the latter is not a regular visitor to Cape Town — outside of major meetings or when he is chasing a title.
Now, suddenly, this season the combo have conjured four wins from just eight races together and the former champion jock is keeping the frequent-flyer-miles people busy.
Most notably, the duo have registered feature-race triumphs with boom youngster One Stripe and ageing warhorse Rascallion.
In May, Marshall, a canny horseman who knows what handling his charges need, booked Lerena to partner his latest prodigy, juvenile colt One Stripe, at Kenilworth. The Grade 3 Winter Nursery was duly delivered.
Marshall kept faith with his appointed strongman and they were back in the winner’s circle last week following the Grade 2 Cape Punters Cup — a high-class prep run for the Grade 1 Cape Guineas a month later.
The victory cemented One Stripe (and presumably Lerena) at the top of the ante-post betting for South Africa’s most prestigious three-year-old race.
In the meantime, the budding Marshall-Lerena “bromance” gained impetus when seven-year-old Rascallion flashed home in the Grade 3 Cape Mile at Kenilworth, with pundits in raptures over “the ride of the month”.
Marshall’s talented but luckless gelding was returning from a six-month injury-enforced break but was ready and willing to run his heart out for the man from Joburg.
There were hugs all round; Lerena described Marshall as “a maestro”; while the trainer spoke of “a terrific ride”.
When things go well in racing, you stick to the knitting. Thus, this Tuesday’s Kenilworth card has Lerena down to ride six Marshall runners.
Other relationships that might prove significant have emerged recently.
The country’s sole female jockey Rachel Venniker has been declared to ride quietly fancied longshot Zeus for trainer Fabian Habib in this weekend’s Betway Summer Cup at Turffontein.
Venniker travelled up from her home in Durban last Saturday and snatched a valuable treble from the local boys. One of those wins was for Habib, with her first job for his stable this term, aboard well-backed Passage Of Power. It was a good warm-up for Joburg’s biggest race day – and possibly a portent.
Another riding engagement catching the eye is Piere Strydom for Equus champion filly Quid Pro Quo in the Grade 2 Dingaans on Summer Cup day.
The horse’s regular partner S’Manga Khumalo is sidelined with injury, so trainer Barend Botes has turned to the jockey in the hottest form at the moment, 58-year-old Striker, even though the pension-dodger will have to put up 0.5kg overweight for filly’s daunting battle against male opposition.
• In this weekend’s Summer Cup, Strydom throws a leg over favourite See It Again, while Lerena has chosen defending champion Royal Victory over several other promising possibilities.
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