DURBAN - Twist Of Fate makes his first appearance as a gelding this weekend in the Grade 3 Matchem Stakes over 1400m at Durbanville and he will be the first of the big guns brought out for the Cape Summer Season by trainer Adam Marcus, who is also looking forward to the forthcoming debut of a regally bred Frankel colt.
Marcus is also excited about the future of his classy filly Princess Calla and other exciting yard news is that Equus Champion Miler Vardy is loving being back home at Milnerton.
Marcus said Matchem entries would normally be given a good gallop before this race but due to the unusually late end to the SA Champions Season, coupled with the gelding, Twist Of Fate would be going in to the race fresh. He said how he fared would give an indication of his future career as a gelding but above all he wanted the Master Of My Fate bay to enjoy himself. It is well documented that Twist Of Fate had a haemoconcentration issue during his KZN campaign and it was the explanation for his below par form.
Marcus is intending to bring the Irish-bred Frankel colt Juan Carlos out in a couple of week's time.
This colt was born on September 17 2017 to the Holy Roman Emperor mare Queen Of Spain, who is a half-sister to the three-times Group 1-winning champion Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer) and to Group 3 winner Genuine Devotion (Rock Of Gibraltar). On the downside Juan Carlos's full-brother is yet to win in ten starts in Japan.
Marcus said, "He is a lovely individual who will get better and better as he matures and I am looking forward to getting him on to the racecourse."
Juan Carlos is one of a batch of horses in the Marcus yard owned by Mario Ferreira.
A proven horse in the Ferreira string is Princess Calla. This Flower Alley filly is out of Grade 2-winning Captain Al mare Princess Royal, who is a half-sister to the four-time Grade 1-winning champion Princess Victoria.
Marcus was particularly impressed with her last start as she came off a debut win in a weak maiden on the poly to run third to the top class pair Anything Goes and War Of Athena in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes.
Marcus is looking forward to clashing with Anything Goes and War Of Athena in the Cape Summer.
Apart from the lack of experience she had in their first clash, she will now have the advantage of having been down in Cape Town for some time and she physically has plenty of scope for improvement. The Grade 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas on December 12 is a likely target of all three fillies and is shaping to be one of the races of the season.
Marcus believes Princess Calla will ultimately be looking for 1800m to 2000m so the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes might also be part of her program.
Meanwhile, Vardy has been back in work for about a week and the defence of his respective crowns in the Grade 2 WSB Green Point Stakes on December 12 and the Grade 1 L'Ormarins Queen's Plate on January 9 are his obvious targets.
David Thiselton