The Mike de Kock stable are keeping their options open with Janoobi, with both the SA Classic and HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes on Saturday 1 April pencilled in as possibilities, according to assistant trainer Mathew de Kock.

Janoobi won the first leg of this year’s SA Triple Crown, R1-million Betting World Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2) over 1600m at Turffontein last Saturday, with the 1800m SA Classic forming the middle leg and the 2450m SA Derby on 6 May the third.

A R2-million bonus is offered to a horse who wins all three legs but De Kock does not believe the Triple Crown bonus will be paid out this year. “In my opinion Heavenly Blue will be the one to beat in the SA Classic, plus I’m not convinced Janoobi will go more than 1800m.”

Janoobi, he said, “took the race very well and is taking it easy this week because he was at a peak and really well on Saturday. We’ll keep him ticking over until next month.”

Heavenly Blue, on the other hand, was “not as well or as ready” as Janoobi for the Gauteng Guineas because his main mission is the SA Classic. “I can’t afford to be too soft on him because I’ve got to help him come on a little bit,” said De Kock. “I’m over the moon with his third placing. He’s going to make a lot of improvement. We’ll finally see the best of him in the Classic over a distance he’s always wanted, 1800m and more.”

Janoobi gave Mike de Kock his 3,000th career winner after wins earlier in the meeting by Rafeef and Nother Russia.

De Kock said: “The obvious next stepping stone for Rafeef is the Horse Chestnut Stakes. The 1600m is his maximum, I think. He also took his race well and is very fresh.”

In terms of Acacia Handicap winner Nother Russia, De Kock said: “I think the older she’s got the better she’s got. A big thanks to Jess Slack (of owner Mauritzfontein Stud) for giving her that time. She was very well going into Saturday’s race and if she’d drawn in single figures I would have been much more confident.

“You can see by that performance she’s definitely better than her rating. It’s gone up the maximum eight points (4kg), but I’m happy to take what the handicappers give her after a win like that.”

Her stable companion Shaama was a weak favourite but finished seventh and De Kock said her performance confirmed she’s best at 1200m and 1400m.

“I think a true-run 1600m would find her out,” he said. “She took the race well and we’ll be bringing her back to 1160m.”

Fillies he saddled finished second, third, fifth and sixth behind easy winner Smiling Blue Eyes in the R500,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.

The race is the first leg of the Triple Tiara, which offers a R1-million bonus and also comprises the SA Fillies Classic on 1 April and the SA Oaks on 6 May.

He had given second-placed Al Hawraa a “money chance” in the preliminaries because “she’d improved in her work”, but even he was impressed with the run.

“She only got going late and will be better in the 1800m Fillies Classic next month. She’s a straightforward filly, easy to work with.”

Was he a bit disappointed with favourite Orchid Island’s third placing? “Not at all. I think 1600m is too short for her, plus she had six weeks between runs and missed work. She’s a small filly, so the going last Saturday was not her best – she prefers it a little bit on top. She’ll also be going for the Fillies Classic.

“I think Belle Rose ran a cracker in fifth. She was stone last at the 400m mark and ran fifth, so made up a lot of ground. On pedigree, she is crying out for more ground so will definitely go for the next leg of the Triple Tiara.”

As for sixth-placed Ektifaa, who came in off a four-run winning sequence which included beating the boys in the Tony Ruffel Stakes, he said: “She wasn’t disgraced. The stamina doubts were there and she just didn’t see out the ‘mile’. We’ll re-programme her to see if she’s good enough for a top-class 1200m race.”

He believes his three Classic fillies are even in the ability stakes, but said when pressed: “If I had to put my head on a block this far ahead of the Fillies Classic, I’d still side with Orchid Island – providing she gets better going – because she’s got more class than the others.”

TABNews

Grant van Niekerk, sidelined by accumulated suspensions since Met day, resumes at Fairview tomorrow when he rides Primrose Lane in the Breeders’ Guineas for Darryl Hodgson as well as Track-King (Justin Snaith) and Ntoma (Alan Greeff).

Just one short of his half century for the season, he rides in all eight races at Kenilworth on Saturday including Sister Soozie for his new boss Andre Nel in the Place Your Bets Maiden. The filly is expected to start favourite and probably represents his best chance on the day.

He has two mounts for his old boss Candice Bass-Robinson – Come On Sonny and Oh Behave – as well as rides for Geoff Woodruff, Hodgson, Piet Steyn, Ronnie Sheehan and Joey Ramsden. The last-named has put him up on newcomer Dynasty’s Blossom in the opening maiden juvenile.

This Dynasty filly is out of the seven-time winner Crimson Blossom and at R4.5 million was the third-highest price horse at last year’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale. She was bought by Mayfair Speculators, Maine Chance and MV Magnier and will carry the world famous all dark blue colours of Magnier’s mother Sue.

By Michael Clower

Duncan Howells’ pair of Vodacom Durban July contenders from last year, Saratoga Dancer and Ten Gun Salute, have returned from a holiday on the farm and will be two of KZN’s chief flagbearers during the SA Champions Season.

Howells also spoke about his other Champions Season hopefuls.   Saratoga Dancer, who made critics eat their words by finishing fifth in the July, is said by Howells to be “very well, evergreen and sound”.He will follow much the same route as last year, namely the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m,  the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m, The July and The Champions Cup.

Ten Gun Salute, ninth in the July, might be a good horse to follow. He was gelded during his layoff and Howells said, “He had become very headstrong and difficult to hold in work, but he is now a completely different horse.”

Three-year-old Captain Al colt Secret Captain, a half-brother to the champion filly Bela-Bela, has also returned from the farm. He has always looked likely to improve as he matures. However, Howells is still not sure what his correct distance is. To date, he has disappointed every time he has been stepped up beyond 1200m. Howells will start him off over 1200m and make a decision from there.

Dawn Calling, runner up in both the Gr 2 Golden Slipper and Gr 1 Thekwini, was unlucky in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas. She then finished a decent third in the Gr 3 Flamboyant Stakes, in which she was the only three-year-old. Howells said, “She is a very good filly, not as good as Same Jurisdiction, but the latter came from an exceptional crop. She will go for the Daisy Fillies Guineas and the Woolavington 2000.”

The sprinter Elusivenchantment, an Elusive Fort half-sister to Via Africa, has won five of her nine starts. She will be out in a Pinnacle Stakes event next week in preparation for the Champions Season fillies sprint features.  Howells said, “She is not as good as Via Africa and there are some very good fillies from Cape Town and Jo’burg, so she will up against it.”

Howells also trains another half-sister to Via Africa, two-year-old Swift Dancer (Oratorio), who finished second on debut over 1000m. He said, “She is a nice filly with plenty of scope to improve, she will train on. She is not very big, but will definitely win races. I don’t know how good she is yet.”

He said about two-year-old debut winner, Neptune’s Rain (Antonius Pius), “She is very promising and will be aimed at the Allan Robertson, although I’m still cautious because I don’t know how much she beat.”

Howells said Lunar Rush was a similar type to Elusivenchantment and will likely follow a similar route.

He rates the three-year-old Dynasty gelding Wild Wicket and said, “He is decent and progressive and the Guineas and Daily News will be on his agenda if he shows us he’s that quality as he has been difficult to place with his high merit rating.”

He said of the 92 merit-rated Kahal gelding Amazon King, “He steps up every time I run him. We will see if he stays a mile on Sunday and if he does he will go for the Daisy Guineas. Whatever happens he will go for the Byerley Turk (1400m).”

Howells said Sylvester The Cat’s problem was only his temperament. He had not completely written off his chances of becoming a top class horse, but said his likely aims would be races like the Listed Thukela Handicap on July day.

The Gimmethegreenlight gelding Legend will unfortunately miss the rest of his three-year-old season, but will be back as a four-year-old. His temperament suggested there had been something wrong and the problem was duly isolated. He has been sent to the farm to recuperate.

Howells said he had the best two-year-old crop on pedigree he had ever had and expected to be contesting plenty of two-year-old features.

By David Thiselton

Racing has been a little tricky for punters on the Highveld since soft going has prevailed and the Vaal card tomorrow might yield some healthy dividends again.

The highest rated race on the card is a MR 96 Handicap over 1200m. Forest Fox was for a long time a frustrating horse as he has plenty of ability but would shirk the issue at the first opportunity. However, he has turned the corner since the headgear has been removed and has earned a cheque in every one of his last six starts, including one winner’s cheque. Last time out he had to overcome a wide draw over 1400m, but was up there early and stayed on well to finish just 2,2 lengths behind the top class New Predator at level weights. He would prefer that 1400m trip, but back in this handicap over 1200m is an interesting contender.

However, it looks to be an open race and he can’t be bankered. Dennis The Menace always has to be considered when well drawn in a race with pace in it. He is drawn close to the outside, which is usually the side the jockeys track over to on this straight course. There should be enough pace with Isphan and Just As I Said in the race. Miracle Bureau is a talented sort who is ideally distance suited. If he is able to find good cover early as well as a good passage between horses, his excellent turn of foot can carry him close.

Just As I Said has been in fine form and just failed to make it four-on-the-trot last time. He remains on the same merit rating and should be involved again. Amazing Stike has been in consistent form off this merit rating and should be thereabouts again with Delpech up from a high draw. Anjaal, who was a close third in a Gr 1 over 1600m as a two-year-old, did well in his first run for a new yard last time over 1160m. He now has the blinkers off. However, his draw of two could be tricky.

The prevous race is an interesting MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m. Comme-ci-comme-ca is obviously well regarded as she has been tried in two Gr 3s. She was not disgraced in either. She should enjoy this trip on pedigree. If she tucks in early from a low draw she will have a good chance. It is not easy to find a best bet on the card, so she gets the nod being an up-and-coming sort who should start coming into her own now.

However, the risk averse will probably be seeing this as a typically open fillies and mares handicap. Sim-Alley-Bank disappointed over 1450m last time out after taking a bump at the start. However, she is now reunited with Lyle Hewitson, who rode her to a five length victory in her penultimate start over 1400m at this course in soft going. She was given a seven point raise for the win, but is by Bankable whose progeny appear to improve steadily in their four-year-old year. Sisters Of Mercy has run two good races since being raised to this 73 merit rating. That followed a win over this trip and she can do well over a course and distance she has won over before.

Work Ethic has faced some tough opposition lately and has dropped to a competitive merit rating. In this weaker field she will have a chance. Our Miracle might be stretched by this trip, but from a good draw she could be dangerous from the front. Beaute Noir has shown promise over this trip, but does return from a three month layoff following a disappointing effort on the poly. Teenage Dream only just failed when stepped up this trip last time. However, she has another possibly tough draw here.

Zortziko is an interesting runner in the eighth, a MR 72 Handicap over 1000m. He has a good draw and is four points lower in the merit ratings than the last time he ran over this trip, which was back in December when finishing just 1,75 lengths behind the fair sort Dolphin. If reproducing that effort he should go close.

Punters could accumulate some exotic money through Real Flight in the second race. On her debut over 1000m on the Turffontein Inside track, she was left a bit flat-footed as they went for home, but she then ran on well. She is by Jay Peg out of the speedy and classy Mana Mou and will relish the extra 200m here. She has a nice high draw.

In the first leg of the PA, the topweight Cape Marigold is well drawn over a suitable trip of 1600m, which is important as she is capable of a devastating finish.

In the last race of the day, My Friend Lee is another topweight who has been chosen to win. She has a high draw over an ideal 1400m trip. She won last time out over this course and distance and both the second and third horses have won since, so she can overcome a five-point raise.

By David Thiselton

Fawree’s participation in the Gr2 UAE Derby on Dubai World Cup night hangs in the balance after he burst from the pens in Saturday’s Listed Al Bastakiya at Meydan, dislodged his jockey Bernard Fayd’herbe, continued riderless and was declared a runner by stewards of the ERA (Emirates Racing Authority).

Fawree has been noted as a horse with problems at the start, but they had been addressed in as far as possible by Mike de Kock, his team and the team of ERA starters  – so much so that he had managed to start and complete two previous races for a second and a runaway win.

This time, in his third start and an important race ahead of the UAE Derby, he jumped from the gates a moment before the starter had pushed his button.  He stumbled at that, dislodging Fayd’Herbe and then continued to complete the race, riderless.

De Kock said: “This was nobody’s fault. Fawree walked into the pens twice before with a hood fitted. It has come down to perfect timing. The moment the hood is removed he jumps, and that has worked twice.  This time the hood was removed a split second before the starter pushed his button. Fawree lunged forward just that split second too soon.”

De Kock said that Fawree’s attitude will have to addressed again and that South Africa’s leading equine therapist Malan du Toit will be flown to Dubai to help. “We have to call on the horse whisperer now, we have a lot to do and only two weeks to do it. We will have to prove to the stewards that Fawree is tractable so that he can be considered for the Derby. He’s a very talented horse, it’s a pity he’s such a complicated talent but we’ll do our best.”

Du Toit commented: “This will be a challenge, but I believe I can help with Fawree.  There are a few administrative matters to attend to, including permission to work in Dubai as a licensed official of the NHA. I’d like to meet with the starter and his team, everyone involved to get the full picture. But the sooner the better.  I want to get to work with him so we can cool him down a bit. He looks quite full of himself!” – mikedekockracing.com