Sport | Horse Racing
Marcus reveals game plan for Singapore success
Anton Marcus, the man who will be bidding for victory in the $3 million Singapore International Airlines Cup this weekend aboard Dubai Duty Free winner, Jay Peg, has a very specific game plan for victory
- By Sarah TregoningStaff Reporter
- Published: 00:08 May 18, 2008
Singapore: Anton Marcus, the man who will be bidding for victory in the $3 million Singapore International Airlines Cup this weekend aboard Dubai Duty Free winner, Jay Peg, has a very specific game plan for victory.
"I just ride the race that's best for Jay Peg," said the 37-year-old South African.
"When we won in Dubai, I honestly didn't know much about who I was racing against, I just went out there and rode the race according to my horse and according to what he needed."
The tactic was certainly a good one and none watching on that warm night in March could have forgotten the big-hearted way the four-year-old fought back on the straight to win by half-a-length from the filly Darjina.
Excellent horsemanship
And as the Herman Brown-trained Jay Peg leaves Dubai and gears up for his outing in Singapore, Marcus is expecting to ride a similar kind of race today - that is Jay Peg's kind of race.
He does hope, however that one thing will be different.
Marcus was nearly deposited out the side door as he crossed the line in Dubai after his saddle slipped with about 250 metres to go.
Thanks to his excellent horsemanship the mishap did not affect the horse in running, but he won't want the same thing to happen again.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," he laughed.
"I won't be worrying about it."
Marcus has been a top jockey in South Africa for 20 years, notching wins in the Durban July Cup four times.
But his Dubai Duty Free victory tops the lot and not just because the prize money was worth around 12 times more than that of the July Cup.
Jay Peg's rise to success was orchestrated by Marcus's two brothers, Basil, who trained him to a champion three-year-old in South Africa, and Selwyn, who bought the colt and has a part share in his ownership.
Marcus himself is modest about his role in Jay Peg's career.
'Does his best'
"I don't have much to do with him to be honest," he admitted.
"I just turn up, throw my leg over and get all the glory. Basil has had the most to do with the horse."
But for Marcus, Jay Peg has always been a rewarding ride.
"The most important thing about Jay Peg is that he's honest.
"Every time he's asked he does his best and you can never expect more than that," he said.
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