Horseracing has a habit of stamping milestone moments. The latest occurrence was on Saturday at Turffontein when Mike de Kock registered his 3000^th winner in the Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas. The colt Janoobi also secured a feature treble for the De Kock yard on the day.

Fate could not have ordained a more fitting jockey to have been aboard Janoobi than Piere Strydom.

If there was ever a vote for greatest South African trainer De Kock would probably win it, while Strydom is the only South African to have ever ridden 5000 winners and is peerless in this country in terms of natural talent.

The reason eight-times SA Champion Trainer De Kock would likely win the vote is due to his overseas exploits. He has virtually single-handedly put South African racing on the map.

Therefore the final fitting stamp on the 3000^th winner was the famous blue with white epaulettes colours Janoobi carried.

These colours of Sheik Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum have been carried to victory twice in the world’s most famous flat race, the Epsom Derby, and are synonymous with British racing. Twenty years ago nobody would have dreamed of them being a regular fixture in South Africa.

De Kock inherited a string of 50 horses in 1988 at the age of 23 when his then boss Ricky Howard-Ginsberg passed away unexpectedly.

The owners had unanimous faith in the young De Kock taking over the string due to the natural affinity he had shown for horses. In his time in the army’s equestrian unit he had learnt how to get horses to peak fitness for both combat and endurance races. In his subsequent stint with Ormond Ferraris he had learnt the importance of attention to detail. These two aspects of training have been the cornerstones of his success today.

His first winner was with Evening Mist in a Listed race at Newmarket on December 21, 1988, a fitting start because it was growing up close to this racecourse which had attracted him to horses and racing in the first place.

Evening Mist gave him his first Gr 1 winner in April the following year when beating the boys in the Administrator’s Champion Stakes over 2000m at Turffontein, despite odds of 25/1.

De Kock’s career took off at the end of the last millennium through his training of Horse Chestnut, who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse in South African history. The versatile colt was a facile winner of the Cape Guineas and followed up by winning the J&B Met by eight lengths. He then went on to land the Triple Crown. He was an easy winner of his only start in the USA. However, a subsequent training injury forced an early retirement, having won nine of his ten career starts.

But, the great horse had given De Kock a penchant for overseas travel.

De Kock had soon boldly set up a yard in Dubai. On a historic night for South African racing at the Dubai World Cup meeting in 2003, De Kock landed the UAE Derby with Victory Moon and the Gr 1 Dubai Duty Free with the filly Ipi Tombe.

De Kock went on to become the second most successful trainer in Dubai Carnival history and is still a force to be reckoned with out there today. He also has a yard in Newmarket in England. Two years ago he became the first South African to have a runner in the Kentucky Derby.

The benefit to South African racing of De Kock’s overseas success will only be truly felt when the iniquitous export protocols imposed on South African horses by most countries around the world are relaxed. This situation remains De Kock’s biggest bugbear and causes him immense frustration.

He has been heard to say “the floodgates” for SA racing will be opened once it has been resolved.

De Kock said in the build up to the 3000^th winner, he was not much one for milestones as a person who tended to look ahead rather than backwards.

However, he would have gained great satisfaction from his son Mathew being at the helm for the three feature victories on Saturday, courtesy of Rafeef, Nother Russia and Janoobi, as he himself was away in Dubai.

Mathew also saddled the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas runner up Al Hawraa and looks ever more capable of filling his father’s huge boots.

De Kock’s most apt statement in exposing what made him tick came in reply to a question posed on South Africa soil on whether he was still learning about British racing. He said, “I am still learning over here.”

David Thiselton

Former Zimbabwean and South African-based trainer Neil Bruss won Saturday’s Gr 1 SR250,000 King Abdulaziz Racetrack Champion Cup over 2000m on sand with the six-year-old Oratorio colt Gods Speed, who was ridden by Luis Morales.

Jumping from gate 7 in a ten horse field, the Abdulelah Abdul Aziz Almousa-owned horse had cover throughout and travelled well.

Morales made his move around the final turn and entering the 400m straight just had to overtake the pacemaker on his inside.

The good looking bay then surged into the lead and managed to held on from the charging pair Smoking Sun (Smart Strike) and Ibn Alnafees (Premium Tap).

Bruss’ latest stint in Saudi Arabia began last September and in 100 runs he has had 14 winners.

The veteran trainer is an outstanding horseman and has successfully raided Dubai with his Saudi Arabian-trained horses before.

In 2009 he sent out former Port Elizabeth horse Paris Perfect and the Argentinian-bred Muller to run third and fourth respectively in the Dubai World Cup.

Oratorio currently stands at Avontuur Thoroughbred Farm in Stellenbosch.

By David Thiselton

Mike de Kock’s 3000^th winner was given a traditional African welcome as Janoobi and Piere Strydom were serenaded into the winner’s enclosure by a gaggle of De Kock’s grooms after their narrow victory in Gr 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas at Turffontein yesterday. Mathew de Kock, running the yard while father Mike is in Dubai, was swept off his feet with cell phone still to his ear as Janoobi’s excited groom picked him up and carried him around the enclosure.

It was somewhat fitting that the first South African jockey to pass the 5000 winners mark was aboard Janoobi (9-2), as both De Kock and Strydom are legends of the sport.

Strydom, who rides freelance and who had ridden Janoobi on two previous occasions, was not over confident of his chances pre-race. “I’d won on him before and ridden him in Cape Town and to me he was just a nice horse,” he said. “He was short and stocky and tended to over-race all the time but the jockeys have been telling me all week that they can’t believe how well this horse was working.

“I thought ‘Ja well, I’ve ridden him and I know the horse’ but when I cantered down I though he had grown and he was more relaxed than ever and that’s why he could maybe get away with it today.

“You know, he went to the front and was relaxed in front …. he had to relax otherwise he got beat. He held on by a short head.”

Sean Tarry, looking for a Guineas double after Smiling Blue Eyes won the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, was denied a short-head as Al Sahem came up just short with the De Kock-trained Heavenly Blue coming home strongly for third.

It was almost a given that either Tarry or De Kock would saddle the winner of the Fillies Guineas in light of the fact that between them they sent out three quarters of the runners in the field.

However, few pundits came up with the Tarry-trained Smiling Blue Eyes (18-1) and the grey daughter of Dynasty gave notice that the Triple Tiara is within her capabilities.

Making light of a difficult outside draw, Raymond Danielson had no hesitation in pressing for position early. Not being able to get onto the rail she raced three-wide into the straight and made a bee-line for the outside rail. Smiling Blue Eyes gradually reeled in the opposition and just when it looked as if she would have a race on her hands, the leading contenders ran out of petrol and Smiling Blue Eyes drew off to win as she liked.

De Kock runners filled the shallow end of the purse with outside El Hawraa running on for second with the well fancied Orchid Island given every chance but not up to the task. Fancied Ektifaar was prominent throughout but also came up empty while Safe Harbour was never a factor.

“This was probably a bit short for her,” said Danielson. “The further she goes the better.”

Earlier in the day, and learning from a previous mistake, Callan Murray pressed the button at exactly the right moment in the Gr2 Hawaii Stakes to get the Australian-bred colt Rafeef (3-1) home and take Mike de Kock’s career tally of winners to 2998.

Apparently something of a monster – “I’m not scared of horses but I’m scared of this one,” De Kock admitted – Rafeef certainly doesn’t lack courage as he fought a protracted stretch battle with favourite and pacemaker New Predator, getting the upper hand late and win with something in hand.

Craig Zackey often gives the impression that he’s half asleep but just two years out of his time he is up there with the best. Ice also runs through his veins as he brought Nother Russia (11-2) through from last to first in the Gr3 Acacia Handicap and set De Kock up for his 3000^th winner.

Andrew Harrison

There is little doubt that National Key is a tough customer. Five seasons and 59 races under his girth, Brian Wiid’s runner is still going strong and can put a seventh victory behind his name when he lines up in the Kas Govender Memorial Handicap that headlines the Greyville poly meeting today.

The seven-year-old is no stranger to Greyville or the surface, having already raced on it six times for a win and a string of places, and it is also a surface that appears to bring out the best in older horses with mileage on the clock. National Key fits nicely into that category.

The gelding has been up against some strong company in his Highveld home and comes into the race off a warm-up and should strip close to his peak. Muzi Yeni, who has relocated to Jo’Burg, rode him in that race and will be back aboard today.

But although National Key ticks most of the boxes he does face some smart younger opposition, mostly in the form of Alistair Gordon’s pair of My Pal Al and Marshall That, both likely candidates for the big three-year-old features during Champions Season.

My Pal Al is definitely on the way up and will be a threat to the top weight. He was deemed good enough to take his chances in Gr2 The Dingaans at Turffontein but ran way below form in the soft ground.

That may not have been his only problem as Gordon declared him in blinkers for his next start and the results were immediate as he barrelled home five lengths clear of the opposition. Anton Marcus has stayed with the ride but the only concern is that the 1200m trip may be on the sharp side which could give National Key the edge.

Marshall That gave notice of his ability with a runaway maiden win with apprentice Eric Ngwane admitting that he had been a mere passenger. The gelding is obviously not an easy ride so his recent showing when a beaten favourite is probably best ignored. Sean Veale is one of the strongest riders around so Marshall That is not likely to get away with much today.

Of the balance, Wynkelder was strongly fancied to back up on his maiden win but soft ground and the seven furlongs may have been his undoing. Given his pedigree his poly debut should not be a problem and a win here will see him rocket up the handicap.

Andrew Harrison

 

Silvan Star can defy top weight in the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap at Kenilworth tomorrow after her good performance on Met day.

Richard Fourie’s mount was beaten less than half a length when third to The High Life over this same 2 000m and had Jetano (now half a kilo better) three-quarters of a length behind despite Fourie reporting to the stipes that he felt something was amiss with her.

The racecourse vet could find nothing physically wrong – other than that she was making a noise – although Glen Kotzen plays it down, saying: “She keeps changing legs and so she tends to roll a bit from side to side.”

Evoke Emotion looks held on that form even though she didn’t get a clear run and has been dropped a kilo but the biggest danger is probably Skip A Beat. The Andre Nel runner was fourth in the Jamaica Handicap over this distance and a line through Nima puts her close with the selection.

Another big plus with Silvan Star is that Fourie is riding so well – and with such confidence – at the moment and he and Kotzen can also take the Play The Pick Six Maiden with Quickfire. This once-raced gelding was a promising fourth to Perovskia three weeks ago with a length further back to  Pop The Question who franked the form with a convincing win here on Tuesday.

Greg Cheyne has found that he needs a bit longer to recover from last Saturday’s bruising so the plum mount on Kasimir in the first is going begging. This colt is almost impossible to oppose after going close in the Listed race on debut on Met day. “He was actually a bit unlucky in that race because he was drawn on the wrong side of the course,” says Justin Snaith who fully expected the horse to run as well as he did.

Just about the only doubt is that Snaith points out: “I have been very easy on him since.” Rikers Island, 40-1 when 11^th of 20 in the Kuda Sprint, could be the one for the forecast.

Scorpion Queen looks another for Fourie in the Racing Association Maiden, particularly as Nel says that newcomer Lady Li Lay “is a staying type and probably a month away” from being ready for her first outing. She runs because he feels he could not throw away the chance of starting in such a modest race.

BLOB Michael Clower is on a roll with seven winners from his last 13 selections and a R60 profit (to a R10 stake) over the last four Kenilworth meetings.

By Michael Clower