Written by: Venal Naidu

The 2017 Vodacom Durban July was won in emphatic fashion by top weight Marinaresco for jockey Bernard Faydherbe and trainer Candice Bass Robinson.

“I was very lucky in the running, I jumped out and I was a bit too far back. I was very lucky! I made up two and a half lengths sticking to the inside rail. I followed the right horse through and got the split and he won,” said Faydherbe.

Over 50 000 people flocked to Greyville yesterday and the atmosphere was electric.

“I have never been to an event of this magnitude, it’s simply on a different level,” said Camerice Alexander.

Faydherbe had the odds in his favour but insisted that it was the team’s effort that saw him through.

“A big thank you to the whole Bass family, the owner’s Marsh and Bren,” he added.

The race was taken by the scruff of the neck by Pierre Strydom on It’s My Turn and he led all the way to the home straight.

The Krambambuli gave betting fans a shock as he struck the front and went a length clear.

With 150 metres left to go, the race opened up when Al Sahem the favourite came and took over the lead for jockey S’manga Khumalo and looked to be going through to victory. But from absolutely no man’s land, Marinaresco found a different gear and sneaked through on the inside winning the race with the final stride.

In second place came the tote favourite Al Sahem and in third came Edict of Nantes for jockey Anton Marcus.

The finish is one that will be remembered for years leaving punters in awe.

“I have never seen a finish like that before, it was simply breath taking,” said Wayland Isaacs.

Marinaresco gave the Bass’s their second win after nine years following the great Pocket Power’s dead heated with Dance’s Daughter in 2008.

*Caption: Winning jockey Bernard Faydherbe with his trophy