Drakenstein Stud’s bang in-form stallion Duke Of Marmalade had a day to remember on Saturday, when his 2yo daughter True To Life maintained her unbeaten record when scoring at Turffontein, and his uber game and talented son Marmelo won the G3 Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes (registered as the John Porter Stakes) at Newbury.
Making his first start since finishing a close up second in last November’s G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup, the six-year-old entire was bought with a late rattle by jockey Gerald Mosse to get up in the shadow of the post and score a one length win at the expense of Aspetar, with G3 Stella Artois Cumberland Lodge Stakes winner Laraaib taking third spot.
It was a tremendous effort from Marmelo who had to withstand interference from riderless longshot Pilansberg.
Now a winner of six of his 18 outings, the Hughie Morrison trained Marmelo, who has banked over £1 000 000 in prize money, holds big race entries in both the G1 Investec Coronation Cup and G2 Matchbook Yorkshire Cup.
The son of Duke Of Marmalade’s previous pattern race scores include wins in all of the G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil, G2 Darley Prix Kergorlay and G3 Prix de Barbeville, with Marmelo also having garnered five placings in group races.
The five time G1 winning Duke Of Marmalade, whose daughter Nastergal looked a little unlucky not to win over 1000m at Kenilworth on Saturday, has already made quite an impression with his early South African runners including such high class performers as Temple Grafin, Princess Irene, Seville Orange, True To Life and Santa Clara to name but a few.