South African Mike de Kock enters Saturday’s Dubai World Cup meeting with a select team of two headed by Mubtaahij (IRE), runner-up in last year’s $10million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates.

He is joined on the card by the talented but thus far wayward Fawree (USA) , who will hope to emulate his illustrious stable companion by winning the Group 2 UAE Derby sponsored by The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group.

Runner-up on his racecourse debut, in a 1400m maiden on the Meydan dirt, at the end of last year, he missed the break on that occasion and did well to finish second.

Well away two weeks later, he was never headed in a 1600m maiden but, again, was not the best behaved at the stalls.

Disaster was to strike on Super Saturday when, as hot favourite of the Al Bastakiya, he broke out of the stalls at the same moment the field were set on their way, unseating Bernard Fayd’Herbe in the process.

“The stalls had always been an issue with him,” said De Kock. “We had done an awful lot of work with him ourselves, as well as involving the starter, Shane Ryan, and his team so it was a bit disappointing.

“We know he is a serious horse and we hope a genuine UAE Derby contender so we reached out to South Africa’s leading equine behavioural therapist, Malan du Toit.”

Unorthodox perhaps but the evidence is that the move has reaped dividends and, last Friday, Fawree passed his Stalls test with flying colours.

Du Toit explained: “He is a lovely horse and has been a pleasure to work with throughout. He was a bit insecure to begin with but improved on a daily basis to the extent that we can now load him without a hood and he is happy to stand in the stalls.

“Importantly, the handlers who will deal with him on Saturday were on hand and everything went perfectly.”

Fayd’Herbe, who has been involved throughout and ridden the horse in both completed starts as well as on Super Saturday, will again be in the saddle.

De Kock added: “Bernard has done an awful lot of hard work with the horse and Christophe Soumillon certainly understands the situation so is more than happy.”

However, Soumillon will be aboard Mubtaahij, without a win since that 2015 UAE Derby success but who has consistently performed well in top company.

This will be just his second start of the season, having finished second in a handicap over the same 2000m dirt course and distance as Saturday’s race.

“Saturday has been his target since he was second last year,” said De Kock. “Ideally we would have had two runs, as we did last year, but we ran out of time a bit so ran him a month ago instead of Super Saturday.

“We were pleased enough with him not to run him again and he is in great shape ahead of what looks another strong renewal. Arrogate (USA) is clearly world class and going to be tough to beat but at least we are proven under these conditions.”

Mikedekockracing.com

Sun Met hero Whisky Baron jets out to Mauritius this morning. He will race in England later in the year but his principal target is the richest race in Hong Kong in December.

The four-year-old will complete his initial three-month quarantine in the second half of June and he then has to do a further month in Britain before he is allowed to race or go overseas.

Whisky Baron (Liesl King)

Brett Crawford said: “It’s a long road to travel and so much has to go right. But, if it does, the plan is to prep him in England for the 2 000m race in Hong Kong.”

The Longines Hong Kong Cup on December 10 carries a total stake of HK$ 25 million, or R41 million, making it the richest race in the territory.

Ridgemont manager Craig Carey said: “It’s an invitation race and what happens is that you first enter your horse for it and then, if they are satisfied, you receive an invitation to run.”

Carey added: “Dubai next year is up in the air but he could well run there too if he is well, the races are suitable and Brett is happy with him.”

The Australian-bred Whisky Baron, owned by Craig and Ross Kieswetter and named after their father Wayne, is unbeaten in five starts since being gelded in the middle of last year.

By Michael Clower

Iron man Greg Cheyne bounced back from last month’s horror fall on Nebula to ride a winner at Fairview on Friday and at Kenilworth the following day he gave Andre Nel a notable career landmark.

“I burnt the boot of my right foot (the one he broke in seven places only 15 months ago) against the rails in that fall,” Cheyne related. “The boot was a write-off but what did the damage was the horse coming up and hitting me, and the damage was to my neck.”

Saturday’s Racing. Its a Rush Pinnacle Stakes was almost as rough as Nebula’s and just under two furlongs out Asstar came off a straight line hampering Vincente, Purple Tractor, Al Wahed and Olympian. Less than 200m later Cheyne’s mount La Favourari shifted out, hampering Asstar and causing the doubly-unfortunate Purple Tractor and Al Wahed to become severely cramped for galloping room. Donovan Dillon on Asstar was given ten days for the first incident and the inquiry into the second is still ongoing.

Greg Cheyne (Liesl King)

La Favourari, who beat stable companion Ovar by nearly two lengths, gave Nel the 100^th success of his short training career. “I’m surprised – I would have been happy with a place for either horse,” he said. “And when it eventually rains La Favourari is going to love the winter.”

Racing can be almost as dangerous for trainers as for jockeys and when Nordic Breeze last ran in January Justin Snaith was left limping like a war veteran but, to mangle a phrase, once cow-kicked twice shy. When the temperamental madam’s aluminium-tipped hooves came at him this time Snaith side-stepped with all the agility of a fly-half and Grant van Niekerk did the rest in the 1 200m handicap.

The in-form rider also won the opener on Big Pleasure for Joey Ramsden but the expected treble on hotpot Shrewdy in the last failed to materialise. The 2-1 favourite managed only tenth behind Corne Orffer on the Brett Crawford-trained Miss Carrera and she was afterwards found to be not striding out behind.

Basil Marcus didn’t become seven times champion in Hong Kong without learning to read horses’ minds like an equine psychiatrist and it was largely due to his study of Golden Pass that Sihle Cele left it until the shadow of the post to get up on the 66-1 chance in the 1 200m fillies handicap. “She has been a head-scratcher,” her owner explained. “She tends to get unbalanced when she comes off the bit so we decided to sit until you couldn’t wait any longer.”

Marcus snr played a big part in the making of Richard Fourie in the top jockey’s formative years and he was understandably impressed with the rider’s quick-fire treble which ended with Gin For Genius coming good at the18th attempt to initiate a double for his own son Adam.

Indeed Fourie is riding with all the dash and polish of the heady Legislate days – “Most of it is due to the good support I am getting. That makes a big difference” – but it was only by the width of a Tote ticket that he got King Of The Corn home in a three-way photo for the Soccer 13 Handicap. “I don’t know that any other jockey would have got the horse’s nose down on the line,” said an understandably impressed Mike Robinson.

Piet Steyn, who trains both the second and third, might not have been so taken with the performance! But Fourie promptly put the record straight by scoring on Steyn’s King Of Aces while promising 21-year-old Craig Bantam brought his score to 15 when making most on 28-1 shot Benjan for Mayfair and Candice Bass-Robinson in the Tabonline Handicap.

By Michael Clower

Winning favourites were few and far between this weekend and there will have been more than just a few punters licking their wounds come yesterday evening.

The trend looked set to continue come the first race at Greyville yesterday when the well fancied Flower Blue failed to hit the boards with Touch Wood (5-1) finally getting his act together for Dennis Drier. Much had been expected of the gelding but until yesterday he had failed to deliver. “It was back to the drawing boards,” said stable rider Sean Veale after his disappointing last effort. “We took the blinkers off and this was a better effort.”

Scent Of The Tiger finally snapped the run of losing favourites as Mark Dixon’s runner prove too good for Scarrabeast and Newyorkstateofmind, and taking advantage of missing ante-post favourite Palladium who was pulled out with a hoof abscess.

Lezeanne Forbes

Night Circus was the next favourite to bite the dust. He chased in vain as Alec Forbes pushed for home early on bottom weight Warfarer for his wife Lezeanne and Night Circus was left chasing shadows.

When Anton Marcus is at the head of affairs and going a steady canter one would think the alarm bells would be ringing amongst his rivals. The bells were obvious ignored or didn’t ring at all as Marcus led the opposition a merry dance aboard Rockerfeller for Charles Laird. Marcus went to the line unchallenged with veteran outsider Discourse making the most of the funereal pace to take second.

There is not much to Pyrenees In Spain but Anthony Delpech rode the gelding as if he was aboard Sea Cottage. Storm Faerie did not set any record-breaking pace but Delpech had Dennis Bosch’s charge trailing come the top of the straight. Seemingly without much effort from Delpech, Pyrenees In Spain picked off his rivals with ease with favourite Into The Groove, who had unshipped her rider on the way to the start, battling home into second.

Roy’s Sailor was the next favourite to go walk-about, failing to hit the boards, as Forbes picked up a double aboard Nottingham Forest (4-1) for Karen and Greg Anthony. Apprentice Khanya Sakayi looked to have pinched a winning lead come the final furlong but even the 4kg claim was not enough as Sharp Seattle was swallowed up late by Nottingham Forest and outsider Beluga Berry.

Bosch was back in the winner’s enclosure in the second last but did exotic bet punters no favours, those still left in their bets that is, as Eric Ngwane drove home Founding Father (9-2) to deny Forbes his treble as Master Of Mischief cut his lead to a head at the line. They were followed home by the Bosch-trained pair of Ho’Oponopono and Elusive Wolf. Spanish Captain came out at the start leaving Flying Rock favourite but he was a spent force a long way out.

Ian Moore went one better in the last as Warren Kennedy sent Tropical Wonder to the front and kept his mount running to the line with the petrol light flashing red to hold a fast-finishing Sweet Chestnut.

Andrew Harrison

Justin Snaith talks of this being a disappointing season for his stable but he has had 112 winners and won nearly R13 million in stakes – only Sean Tarry has done better – and Captain Alfredo can add to the tally in the Racing.Its A Rush Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow.

Captain Alfredo (Nkosi Hlophe)

Richard Fourie’s mount has to give weight all round but he ran a fine race to take second to Brutal Force three weeks ago when he had the slow-starting Line Break and Asstar behind on these terms. The fact that he had the speed to get to the front after a furlong and a half should stand him in good stead over this shorter trip.

Despite its name this race is a close to being a handicap with the weights marginally favouring those at the top end. Asstar comes out just the best and probably represents the biggest danger despite his habit of giving away ground at the off. He holds La Favourari, Line Break and Vincente on Southeaster running on Christmas Eve.

“He is sluggish coming out of the stalls so 1 000m is really too short for him,” says Glen Puller. “But we are running him here to keep him ticking over before we send him to Durban.”

Line Break started favourite when finishing third 12 months ago but is not quite the force he was – or at least he is not so inclined to run up to his form – and he looks only third best.

Kuda Sprint fourth Apollo Star has the best form in the opener but the fact that he is the only one of Joey Ramsden’s quartet not jocked up is a cause for concern. Donovan Dillon, who rode him last time, is now on the promising Rock My Soul and accordingly this one gets the vote.

King Of The Corn has won three of his last five and is probably still on the upgrade so he is taken to beat Friendly Tibbs in the Soccer 13 Handicap.

Hernando’s Promise is rated seven points clear in the Racing Association Maiden but he has proved expensive to follow and has found one too good for him in each of his last four starts. Oval Office is preferred.

Shrewdy kept on well in an admittedly weak 1 200m race last time and the Andre Nel filly has a lot more on her plate in the mile maiden but the extra distance may enable her to bring out the necessary improvement.

Greg Cheyne, who returns for eight rides at Fairview today, has seven mounts here and his best chance is probably on Make It Raine in race six.

By Michael Clower