Mike de Kock leapt from eighth in the National Trainers Championship to fourth after a fine day at Turffontein on Saturday, where his six winners included Barahin in the R1 million Grade 2 Peermont Emperor’s Charity Mile.

Rainfall of 37,5mm in the 24 hours before the meeting led to testing conditions and it proved vital on the day for horses to conserve as much energy as possible in the running. Jockeyship was thus of the highest importance and Callan Murray was at his best, booting home five of De Kock’s six winners.

Barahin was drawn well in four in the Charity Mile and Murray secured a good spot on the rail in midfield. 

Approach Control went to the front but had to be used up to do so and was consequently the first horse gone in the straight.

Chijmes was the early leader from a good draw of three and apprentice Dennis Schwarz put on the brakes to conserve his energy.

Murray switched Barahin inward coming off the false rail and he had a clear run on the inside. The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight colt was clearly relishing the conditions and hit the front still under a tight hold. Murray did not move a muscle until about the 300m mark by which stage he was a length clear of Chijmes. When he got to work Barahin found extra and waltzed away to win by 3,50 lengths from the tall and progressive Ato gelding Chijmes, who stayed on resolutely. There was a gaping 3,25 length gap back to the dead-heaters for third, Cascapedia and reserve runner Flying Winger. Cascapedia found the spot behind Barahin on the rail after jumping from draw five and Flying Winger was dropped out from a wide draw and was placed on the rail two positions behind Cascapedia, proving that finding cover quickly was the key to staying on in the tough conditions.

Barahin had started second favourite at 6/1. The 47/20 favourite Zillzaal went handy from a draw of six and was caught one wide without cover for most of the way, which was his undoing. 

Barahin’s win for Shiekh Hamdan Bin Rashid al Maktoum was the first leg of a quick feature race treble for De Kock.

In the preliminaries of the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m, De Kock’s NZ-bred All Too Hard grey gelding Frosted Gold caught the eye, especially his muscled hindquarters.

However, he drifted out from 4/1 to 29/4 as the favourite Putontheredlight shortened from 33/10 to 57/20.

The race was full of incident, some of it caused by the loose horse On My Mind, who dislodged Nooresh Juglall after pecking at the jump. 

Craig Zackey managed to place Frosted Gold on the rail in midfield and he had one hairy moment when the loose horse veered in front of him. Earlier, the loose horse had forced the fancied pair Eden Roc and Tallin outward on the turn. Later, Tallin appeared to clip the heels of the favourite Putontheredlight and Callan Murray performed a miracle to stay aboard but lost his stirrup irons.

In the straight the loose horse took up the running of both Riverstown and the leader Magic School, who was staying on strongly from a handy position. However, their stride was hardly affected and it did not materially affect the result as Frosted Gold finished powerfully to win going away by a length from Magic School. The latter beat Riverstown by a shorthead for second. The favourite Putontheredlight was caught wide in the running, which gave him little hope in the conditions.

Juglall was reported okay and just suffering aches and pains.  

Frosted Gold is owned by Dave MacLean, who was due to run the New York Marathon yesterday.

In the Grade 3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m De Kock’s Irish-bred Exceed And Excel filly Queen Supreme, who is six months younger than her four-year-old contemporaries, confirmed herself a star in the making. Running in the Mauritzfontein Stud colours for a syndicate of owners she powered away to a 4,25 length win from the classy sorts Ronnie’s Candy and Roy’s Riviera.

Later De Kock’s Cape Derby winner Atyaab relished the underfoot conditions and won the Listed Java Handicap over 2400m cosily from Factor Fifty and Bondiblu. This Australian bred gelding by Dundeel is owned by Sheikh Hamdan. 

Earlier, De Kock had won two maidens respectively with the Australian-bred Snitzel gelding Alameery, also owned by Sheikh Hamdan, and the Rathmor Stud-bred Noble Tune colt Hellofaride, owned by Mario Ferreira. 

Eight times SA champion trainer De Kock earned R1,103,200 on the day to rise to R3,197,750 in stakes for the season. 

The David Niewenhuizen-trained Digteby Stud-bred Querari filly Mill Queen had always struck as one who would train on and she fended off the persistent challenge of Wisteria Walk to convert 18/10 favouritism in the Grade 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes over 1400m under Gavin Lerena.   

The Clifton Stud-bred Kahal gelding Prince Of Kahal claimed a remarkable fourth win in as many starts this season. He stormed home on the outside rail to defy third topweight of 61kg in the Golden Loom over 1000m under Dennis Schwarz, his third Graded win in succession. 

The Sean Tarry-trained Tmen Stables-bred Visionaire filly Spiritofthegroove stormed home from way off the pace to win the joint richest race on the day, the R1 million Emperors Ready To Run Cup under Marco van Rensburg.

By David Thiselton

Last Winter has his second race since finishing a half-length second to Oh Susanna in last year’s Sun Met in the Matchbook Floodlit Stakes over a distance just short of a mile and a half at Kempton today. The race is due off at 6.00pm South African time.

The six-year-old, now trained by Sir Michael Stoute, will be ridden for the first time by Louis Steward. Last Winter comes out equal second with John Gosden’s 2018 Ebor runner-up Weekender on adjusted ratings. The William Haggas-trained Young Rascal is 3lb clear top.

Candice Bass-Robinson reports that Russet Air, winner of the 1 000m Pinnacle at Kenilworth six days ago, will run next in the WSB Cape Merchants on November 23.

By Michael Clower

Bernard Fayd’Herbe, vowing to return with a bang, did just that at Kenilworth on Saturday when he won on his first ride back.

Concussion, or rather medical analysis of the need to give his system a break because of the risk of its long-term effects, may have sidelined him for three months but his mental faculties were as sharp as ever on the Andre Nel-trained Lady Lu in the opening maiden.

Punters didn’t give the filly a prayer, despite her jockey’s sky-high reputation, and allowed her to drift unbacked from 3-1 to 9-1 – but they were left wondering what had happened to their judgement after hearing Fayd’Herbe’s first-hand account of his.

“I jumped out and she was rushing but there was a strong tail wind,” he related. “So I brought her back a little and she started travelling underneath me. I was watching Richard Fourie on Linda Loves Lace in front of me. He was going easy fractions. I sent mine on perhaps too early but when she got going she really took off.”

He followed up two races later on Gold Medal for the Bass-Robinson stable and some of the owners for whom he won the Vodacom Durban July on Marinaresco two years ago. But apparently those three months off were no holiday for a man has spent the last 20 years keeping his frame at least 7kg below its natural weight.

“I had to do a lot of work,” he related. “Dougie Whyte from Hong Kong helped me, I went on a new diet and I rode the Equicizer every day.”

Justin Snaith and Richard Fourie chalked up their now almost expected treble – with Pinkerton (backed from 5-10 to an almost unbelievable 2-10), Fleeced and Pay Pay to take their tallies for the season to 43 and 41. But the rest of the card went to men for whom life must all too often seem more like Moodys (outlook negative but otherwise unchanged) than Springbok.

“I’ve had nothing but seconds – even other trainers are sending me pictures of my horses finishing second,” rued Paddy Kruyer after Louis Mxothwa on 16-1 shot Savea stopped the rot in the TAB Telebet Handicap, and he fished out his phone to show a shot of What A Flirt being beaten less than the thickness of a betting slip last Tuesday. 

Hidden Strings, in the colours of breeder Willem Engelbrecht jnr and well handled by Keagan de Melo in the Interbet.co.za Handicap, was Greg Ennion’s first winner since June. “It’s been a tough few months,” said the trainer with some feeling. “I had a herpes virus in the yard – but the horses are starting to look good again and I have some lovely babies.”

Piet Steyn, most of whose glory days were a long time ago, took the bold step of turning out old stager Waiting For Rain for the second Saturday running in the Tellytrack.com Handicap and was rewarded with an 18-1 victory.

“Last week he got sandwiched on the fence,” the trainer related. “He came out of it well so I decided to run him. I don’t gallop mine much. If you haven’t got many – and I have 20 – you have to look after them.”

But in many ways the real unsung hero of this race was Grant Behr who bided his time to pounce fast and late, thwarting Fayd’Herbe of victory number three. “Nobody could have ridden the horse better,” said an admiring Steyn, and with justification.

Behr seldom attends the Tellytrack interviews and this was no exception. “I’ve been a bit down lately,” he said in explanation. “But maybe I should go to them.”

Certainly he should. They provide a real shop window and in racing self-promotion is one of the names of the game.

By Michael Clower

Anton Marcus may have been out for three months, getting himself stitched up and back into one piece, but although the limbs may be taking strain the racing brain is as sharp as ever.

Marcus was given free licence on Fools Gold in the Model Man Mile (Listed) at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday and like a shrewd prospector who had seeded his claim, he played the field on the break, cruising to the line unchallenged. Making all the running he delivered what ultimately amounted to little more than an exercise gallop for Robbie and Shannon Hill’s gelding.

A proven front runner, Marcus set pedestrian fractions on Fools Gold and somewhat surprisingly was never challenged as his mount sped clear at the top of the straight to win as he liked.

The win will have been have been cold comfort for Marcus with Mike de Kock, who saddled six winners at Turffontein on Saturday, pointing out that had he been able to take up the De Kock rides he would have added the Gr2 Emperors Palace Charity Mile on Barahin and the Gr 3 Graham Beck Stakes on Frosted Gold to his CV.

Marcus is tied to a contract with the powerful mainly Western Cape-based Ridgemont stable that required him to ride Bitter Lemon in a lowly MR73 Handicap at Kenilworth on the same afternoon. De Kock, in jest rather than malice, took the opportunity to rub a little salt into the ‘lemon’ of a good friend.

Frank Robinson’s gelding Avro Lancaster has the Summerveld dogs barking but Tony Nassif, a doyen and one of the really nice men in the sport, was on hand to lead in Greattobecaptain in the card opener for Karen and Greg Anthony. Poorly drawn last run and a much better gate at two yesterday. Serino Moodley steered the colt home. “On his work we knew he would run a big race,” confirmed Anthony and knowing the owner’s, Greattobecaptain will not have been allowed to ‘run loose’.

Avro Lancaster pulled up with a myriad of reported problems so do not write him off.

Mark Dixon was in Gauteng hoping to pluck another plum at the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale, but Victor Tojeira, owner Brian Burnard’s son-in-law, appears to have picked a good one at the National Two-year-old sale in Dinetto. Pressed to a mile last time out, the wheels came off, but yesterday it was all smooth travelling as Dinetto put in a telling run up the inside of the pack to head off Themba and Elusive Force with favourite Fred emulating a Manchester United dud signing.

Dixon was on the mark again as Presumptuous continued is steady improvement with a comfortable win in the third.

Exion and Battle Of Alesia were the expected flag-bearers for the raiding Paul Peter yard, but it was the less expected Western Front, down the field in a work-riders maiden on debut, who paid their way, getting the better of Twice Golden in the fifth.

By Andrew Harrison

Turffontein Standside hosts the Grade 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile and the progressive Candice Dawson-trained Approach Control could cause an upset.

Last time out he was well beaten by the favourite Zillzaal over this course and distance. The latter, who won easing up, beat him by four lengths. However, Approach Control clearly did not enjoy blinkers and was throwing his head around at one stage. The blinkers have been taken off and he is 4,5kg better off with Zillzaal. The form of his previous start looks better. In that race over 1400m he beat the like of Charity Mile contenders Divine Odyssey,

Infamous Fox, Flying Winger and Pilou and on paper should either beat them again or there should be nothing in it, so he looks good value at long odds. Lastly, he is a long-striding sort who will relish the long straight of the Standside track and he has always struck as a scopey sort who would come into his own as a four-year-old. On the downside he is 1,5kg under sufferance, half-a-kilogram due to his merit rating and 1kg due to S’Manga Khumalo riding 1kg overweight. However, Khumalo is not a twice champion jockey for nothing and he is riding at the top of his game. The other downside is his tricky draw of ten out of 16, so Khumalo will need to be at his best and also have some luck to find necessary cover.

Zillzaal has improved with gelding and went through with his run last time, something he had not been doing last season. Therefore, he could be well handicapped as he is probably yet to show his best. However, the Gauteng Summer Cup is his main aim, so he might not be quite at his peak. 

Infamous Fox seems to prefer tighter tracks. He has a good draw, which should enable MJ Byleveld to find cover. However, he will need to follow a forward moving horse in the straight so his fine turn of foot can be used to maximum effect. 

In The Dance has as good a turn of foot as her half-brother Capetown Noir and is still relatively unexposed, so she will be dangerous running with just 53kg on her back. However, Sean Tarry did say he would have liked another run under the belt before tackling this tough mile race.

Marchingontogether, who finished third in the SA Derby, prefers further and his chief target is the Summer Cup. However, he has plenty of class and has improved with gelding. He won his seasonal reappearance over the too sharp 1400m, so there is no reason why he should not make an impact here. 

The like of Camphoratus, Cascapedia, Barahin and Divine Odyssey have the ability to go close but this looks likely to be a build up run for the Summer Cup. Tilbury Fort has a harder task at the weights than he did when running a close second first up last year and the talented Zouaves has a wide draw over a trip which stretches him.

In the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m Putontheredlight has scope and as a long-striding sort will relish this course and distance. He is well drawn and should also get the good pace he will appreciate with a lot of stablemates under the same ownership taking part. Riverstown is well regarded and has been working well at home. His last run can be ignored as he bumped his head in the stalls and it was not his run. Eden Roc has proven class and has a fine turn of foot so should be involved although he does not have as much scope as Putontheredlight. Frosted Gold and Tallin cannot be ignored for the exotics. 

In the Grade 3 HSH Princess Charlene Starling Stakes Cockney Pride will relish the course and distance as one with a strong, sustained finish. She has one run under the belt which will give her an advantage over Mill Queen, who is drawn in pole and has always struck as one whose class would blossom the older she got. Sidonie went too hard last time but was still not disgraced against the classy older horse Vistula, so she could be dangerous under a more conservative ride from a good draw and Strydom up is an obvious bonus.

The Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup is as competitive as ever but Gaian Glory looks to have the class to take it. Enjoy The View should have come on from his effort last week and has some class. Spiritofthegroove should run on from a wide draw. Seemyvision might make a bold bid from the front but has a stamina doubt and Bohica can’t be ignored.

The Grade 3 Yellowwood Handicapo could be fought out by two classy well drawn horses, Queen Supreme and Roy’s Riviera.

Paul Peter has a strong hand in the Listed Golden Loom and two of this trio, Operetta and Rebel’s Champ have favourable high draws. Prince Of Kahal is in fine form and also has a high draw. 

By David Thiselton