Trainer Mike de Kock at Turffontein racecourse. Picture: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
As usual, trainer Mike de Kock will be a significant factor at a big race meeting when the finale of The Championships series is staged at Turffontein on Saturday.
The Randjesfontein master fields runners in all four Grade 1 contests on the card, most of them hovering high on the bookmakers’ boards – most notably unbeaten filly Gimme A Nother who will be a popular exotic bets banker when she goes in the R1-million TAB Empress Club Stakes.
However, De Kock will not be present at Joburg’s city track, having jetted off to Australia to attend an important horse sale. The recent lifting of the ban on South African equine exports has put fire in the man’s belly and he is off seeking ammunition for international battles that lie enticingly ahead.
Always keen to be frank with the punting public, De Kock has provided a full breakdown of his views on his runners on Saturday – in an interview for Turf Talk with former jockey and stable confidante Johnny Geroudis.
Here’s an edited version:
Ingqwele (Fire Away first-timer): He is quite a nice horse, but in my opinion he is going to lack experience. It’s a fairly competitive field and I think he will be better off for the run.
Mujbar (British-bred six-year-old entire by Muhaarer): I quite like this horse. At the ratings he has a lot to do. I think he is still a run short of his best, but it would not shock me to see him flash home into a place.
White Pearl (three-year-old Danon Platina filly): She has been most unlucky and deserves a good stakes race. I think 1400m is her best trip and she is drawn well. I like where she is weighted. If one just goes on ratings, she is just 1kg out with Sandringham Summit, whom I presume will start favourite. I’d leave her out of nothing as she is really well and is over her best trip.
Silver Sanctuary (three-year-old Silvano filly): She is unlucky to have been born in the same year as Gimme A Nother and has had to be bridesmaid to her twice. But that doesn’t detract from her ability. She was just beaten in the Cape Fillies Guineas. On ratings, there is not much between herself, My Soul Mate and Let’s Go Now. Those three will dominate. She is a full sister to Safe Passage, so I don’t believe the trip is a problem.
Gimme A Nother (three-year-old Gimmethegreenlight filly): If you put a Grade 1 on the same day as the Oaks and she is suited to the Grade 1, [the choice of race] doesn’t become a decision in my opinion. The Triple Tiara is tempting, but the stud has won two Triple Tiaras and I have won one and that makes the decision easier to go for the Grade 1. (Asked how this filly rates among the best fillies he has trained, De Kock said) It’s hard to assess the form around her. She’s beaten the best Joburg has to offer, but she hasn’t beaten anything out of this province and nothing’s come here to take her on. She’s got to go to Durban and has to beat the best Durban and Cape Town have to offer. The thing with her is I keep seeing she’s getting better and better; there is always a step up. You squeeze her a little more and there’s another step up. She is quite straightforward, so I haven’t got to the bottom of her and it’s unfair now to make comparisons to the superstar fillies I’ve had. I think she is on the way there, but I would like to see her beat a bit more.
Humdinger (five-year-old What A Winter mare): You couldn’t really get a more solid, sound filly in training than this. She is always thereabouts. I like the way Piere Strydom rides her. She has obviously got a bit to find on Gimme A Nother, but if Gimme A Nother fluffs her lines this filly will be all over them. She is really, really well. At the ratings, she looks second best but she is really tough. A mile is not her best trip, but if she gets to the front and gets a soft lead she gets a mile … just.
Iphiko (five-year-old Trippi mare): You’ve got Thunderstruck and Dyce and they have the most favourable, high draws, too. Iphiko is drawn quite well in 8 and is very quick. If the ground is on top she is going to rattle and there are few who will go with her early. It is a question of whether she can maintain that all the way to the line. She is a must for Quartets and Trifectas. If it rains, the outside draws become even more important.
Marauding Horde (three-year-old Vercingetorix colt): He keeps rising with every race. I was in two minds whether to run him or not, given the fact that he’s only rated 96 and we are up against horses of 120 (Purple Pitcher) and 116 (Pure Predator and Hotarubi). The genuine Grade 1 horse is Purple Pitcher and it is his race to lose. Most of the rest are handicappers, with horses rated 78 at level weights with a 120. The way Pure Predator was finishing last time means he is a runner. Marauding Horde has only won handicaps, but he’s won them well. This is another huge step. Whether it’s too soon, we will only know on the day. But he goes in very fit and there’s no doubt he will stay the trip. That he is able to win over shorter and accelerate the way he does is a very good sign. In theory, we should be at our best trip here.
Dave The King (four-year-old Global View gelding): He is a tough, hard-knocking horse. He only just got the 2000m at Greyville and could be a little stretched here. But Strydom rides him well and, since he’s been gelded, he is not an aggressive front-runner; he’s a bit more relaxed up front. There is a good chance he will now get the 2000m at Turffontein, though Piere is going to cuddle him until the last little bit to get home. I love that he is drawn 1, which gives us options. I couldn’t want his preparation any better.
Aragosta (five-year-old Rafeef gelding): Last year he had a similar prep and ran third. He came off a campaign in Cape Town, so needed a bit of freshening up. Draw 2 is a big advantage.
Safe Passage (five-year-old Silvano gelding): If you go back to his three-year-old form there is a lot of class. He picked up a fracture in the foot and we have struggled with him since then, not in terms of soundness but in consistency. He can run you a cracker and ran a great second in the Summer Cup. On weight-for-age terms, in theory, he could be all over them. He is capable any day of the week of winning a race like this.
Black Thorn (six-year-old Pomodoro gelding): He’s got one or two niggles we’ve got to keep working with, but I don’t think we will be far off. He’s improved with his last run, but this is an open race and you have to load up.
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