'I think you’ve got the real deal' - American challenge in place for South African wonder One Stripe

When One Stripe vacates his stable in a couple of months' time it will be a bittersweet moment for Vaughan Marshall, particularly as the Breeders’ Cup-bound colt’s sireline was built from the ground up by one of South Africa’s most respected horsemen. 

Western Cape-based Marshall won his state’s Guineas with Captain Al, a leading stallion of his country’s recent history and father of One World, whom he trained to land the Cape Town Met in 2020.

One Stripe is from the record-breaking first crop by One World. Winner of the Cape Guineas himself, he announced himself as an even rarer talent as just the third three-year-old in the last 50 years on the roll of honour of the King’s Plate, the biggest weight-for-age event over a mile in early January.

It was then announced that Hollywood Racing, an ownership group headed up by bookmaking mogul Owen Heffer, had bought a majority stake.

Marshall had purchased One Stripe for owner Rikesh Sewgoolam as the R1,400,000 (£62,000/€75,000) top lot from the 2023 Cape Racing Ready To Run Sale. 

"He really struck me when I saw him at the sale," Marshall recalls. "I’d seen him prior to that and he was a very nice horse but when I saw him again, it was certainly the best piece of work I’ve ever seen in a breeze-up gallop so consequently we bought him.

Vaughan Marshall (left) trained One Stripe's father and grandfatherCredit: Chase Liebenberg

"He was just extremely well balanced, beautiful temperament, and he just looked an athlete from day one. That’s really all I can say about him."

Marshall has never been mad on the ready to run tag, as he chuckles that it means owners expect exactly that as soon as he buys them a horse. One Stripe was not too far off the definition, as a couple of months after his purchase he hit the track last January, suffering one of only two defeats in eight starts so far.

"On his first gallop," says Marshall, asked when the powerful colt began first raising hopes. "He did everything we asked and he hates a horse getting past him or being in front of him, he likes to run at them and run past them.

"I’ve had some really good horses, I don’t like comparing them usually because they’re all great in their own right, but he certainly is special."

He adds that there is a filial similarity.

"When One World won the Met, Ryan Moore was on [runner-up] Rainbow Bridge," Marshall recalls.

"He didn’t realise that if he’d come down the centre of the course he might have beaten One World but he’d made the fatal mistake of coming right next to him and that’s something you didn’t do to One World, he’d just keep on fighting back and that’s exactly what he did. This horse has got that same spirit, don’t give up."

The next stage of the colt’s career involved Anthony Delpech, a decorated rider in both Hong Kong and at home, who is now racing manager to the Hollywood team.

"I remember the day he got beat at Durbanville [last October] I phoned Rikesh and said I’d love to buy him," Delpech recalls.

"He said listen, Vaughan says he’ll win the Guineas so I now want to win the Guineas. He did, I asked Rikesh again and he said they were going for the King’s Plate. Anyway, after he won that, he phoned me and said he’d been made an offshore offer but if I was still keen, he'd promised me first. 

"I spoke to Owen and we were all still keen. So we wanted him for a long way out, it wasn’t all of a sudden because he’s won the two races."

Owing to easing in restrictions over African horse sickness, the country’s horses are finally able to compete overseas more freely.

Delpech confirmed that Graham Motion is to take charge of One Stripe, continuing a partnership which had seen Hollywood Racing’s Isivunguvungu finish a close seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

"Vaughan thinks this is a really special horse," he said.

"Obviously the owner loves American racing, he built a company around the Breeders’ Cup. So he runs in a R5million sales race [the Cape Racing Sales Big Cap on March 16], then he goes to quarantine.

"He does a spell in France, where he’s allowed to train, which is fantastic. Then he’s going to go to America a fit horse. Hopefully we can get a run before the Breeders’ Cup Mile, that’s the plan.

"He’ll most probably come back here as a stallion, we’re involved with Ridgemont, and that’s a real thing for us too."

Anthony Delpech: top jockey spotted One Stripe's potential early on

Delpech had to retire from riding six years ago owing to injury but it is evident that One Stripe, who has shown a keen turn of foot in both Group 1s, is a horse who gets him buzzing.

He says: "As you’d say as a jockey, good horses get you out of trouble and that’s what this horse does. We went to America before feeling hopeful but now I think you’ve got the real deal."

For Marshall, life will go on and progeny of One World will be part of it.

"I’ve got 28 [by the sire]," he says. "There’s some very nice horses among them especially the two-year-olds of this year. I’ve got a horse which I think is not far off One Stripe, so it’s exciting times."

It is surely a measure of the veteran trainer that he remains so magnanimous despite what must still be a stinging blow.

"He’ll go 2,000 metres easily and I’m sad to see him go," he says. "If I had him I’d put him away after the run in March and bring him back next year for the King’s Plate and the Met, but obviously owners have preferences and you’ve just got to wish them well.

"I trained Captain Al, then William Longsword, now One World and this fella. It’s been a wonderful journey."

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