Drakenstein Stud’s resident sire Duke Of Marmalade went very close to landing one of the world’s biggest and most historic races on Tuesday when his son Marmelo finished a close up second in the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup.
The five-year-old entire Marmelo hit the front with 200m left to run and looked to be in with a winning chance in the Flemington showpiece but was caught close to home by Godolphin hope Cross Counter, the first British trained horse to win the Melbourne Cup and was just beaten into second place.
Ironically, Cross Counter is out of a mare by Kingmambo –the broodmare sire of Duke Of Marmalade himself.
Among those beaten by Marmelo in the 2018 Melbourne Cup were such G1 winners as Youngstar, Best Solution, Ventura Storm, and Ace High.
Marmelo, beaten just a length in Tuesday’s $7.05 million contest, has now earned in excess of £1 000 000 in stakes money, with his five victories including four group or listed races.
Trainer Hughie Morrison was delighted with the run, saying, “Great ride. Great horse. He came virtually from last to nearly first. He came through beautifully, chased down the leading horse (A Prince Of Arran) and then just got run down. It’s fantastic to be second in the Melbourne Cup. But to be second when you’re nearly there…but great credit to Charlie (Appleby). I always thought he was the horse to worry about. A (northern hemisphere) three-year-old. Marmelo has run his heart out.”
Duke Of Marmalade, currently sixth on the Italian General Sires List, has enjoyed another good year in 2018, with both his progeny and his broodmare daughters progeny coming to the fore.
His notable runners this year have included the above mentioned Marmelo (whose prior runs in 2018 included a victory in the G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil), G3 Premio Verziere winner Flower Party (also placed in both the Italian Oaks and Derby), and Cape champion Temple Grafin.
The latter, victorious in last season’s G3 Gagasi FM Debutante Stakes, ran second in the recent G2 Western Cape Fillies Championship, with another Duke Of Marmalade filly, Santa Clara, running third in that R400 000 feature.
Also damsire of 2018 group winners Chilean and Antonia De Vega, Duke Of Marmalade is currently responsible for 37 stakes winners, and a total of more than 60 black type performers in total.
A half-brother to Coolmore’s promising Investec Derby winning sire Ruler Of The World, former Cartier Champion Duke Of Marmalade also made news at Sunday’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale, where his son The Sandwich Man was knocked down to Fortune Racing for R1 000 000.
The five time G1 winner has four lots on offer at this month’s CTS Ready To Run Sale.