Two sons of the late Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) enjoyed success at Turffontein on Saturday.
Uncle Mo’s champion son Nyquist came up with an impressive debut winner when his son Harry Nyquist won at the first time of asking.
The Mike de Kock-trained British bred Harry Nyquist turned the Racing Today Maiden Plate (1160m) into a one-horse race.
Chase Maujean has Harry Nyquist in top gear to win easily (Pic – JC Photos)
Harry Nyquist clocked 67,93s – 0,61s faster than the class average, and made a good impression. He jumped like a pro, cruised into the lead, came across from the inside to the standside, romped home by just over four lengths.
This was one of those rare races where, after 400m, one kind of got the feeling that it was over as a contest.
Watch the replay to see how Harry Nyquist has them all off the bit at the 600m. He quickened away, using his beautiful action. “He won a smart race,” said jockey Chase Maujean.
“I didn’t see that one coming,” a suitably impressed Mike de Kock said on his website.
De Kock said in his preview that he felt that this was a beatable field, but the ease of the win was unexpected.
The top trainer also noted that Harry Nyquist had been problematic to train. He and Mathew will be crossing fingers that it’s plain sailing from here, so that he can develop into a decent prospect.
Assistant David Dlamini commented: “Harry Nyquist had niggles and it was a good idea to geld him. What we saw today is the type of work he’d showed us in the beginning.”
Harry Nyquist is by 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist out of Go On Mary (Broken Vow), and was bred by Jessica Slack, who said: “Broken Vow is in the USA now and is due next to Game Winner (Candy Ride).”
Go On Mary’s dam Blue Orleans (Bluegrass Cat) is a half-sister to Pico Central (Spend A Buck) a Gr1 winner in both Brazil and the US.
Harry Nyquist runs in the silks of stalwart owner Henk Leyenaar, in partnership with Chris Haynes, Mike de Kock, George Ragunan and Noeline Malherbe.
Leyenaar, who became well-known in SA racing circles as one of the original owners of Ipi Tombe, told Mike de Kock Racing from his Harare home:
“It’s a pity he had to be gelded, he has a wonderful American pedigree. But we, the ‘mushrooms’, are very pleased and thankful to the De Kock Racing Team”. ‘Mushrooms’, said Henk, was a name suggested by Chris and Jehan Malherbe, because ‘Mike always keeps us in the dark!’
Henk will be celebrating his 79th birthday next Saturday and said: “I still ride my own horse around Borrowdale Park every week.”
Nyquist (Pic – Supplied)
Nyquist, just the second horse to win both the Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Gr1 Kentucky Derby, had a break out year in 2024.
His four Grade One winners last year were headed by US champion and Gr1 Netjets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Immersive, as well as Johannes, Randomized and Tenma.
Tenma recently made it four wins from five starts when running out a six and a half length winner of the Gr3 Fasig-Tipton Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita.
Immersive is the second Nyquist filly to win the Juvenile Fillies, with her paternal half-sister Vequist having prevailed in that race back in 2020.
In total, Nyquist (who emulated Uncle Mo in winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile) has been responsible for 28 stakes winners and a further 39 black-type placed horses.
Royal Mo (Pic – Supplied)
Nyquist’s paternal half-brother Royal Mo has relatively few runners to his name but his representatives include 2024 Gr2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes winner Royal Aussie and World Sports Betting Heritage Consolation winner Count Invicto.
The late Uncle Mo, whose first crop included 25 stakes winners, continues to make his presence felt as a sire, sire of sires and broodmare sire.
Last year, the champion was responsible for 16 black-type winners in North America (Nyquist had 11 stakes winners during the same period), headed by the Gr1 winners Adare Manor (Apple Blossom Handicap, Clement L. Hirsch Stakes), and Kingsbarns (Stephen Foster Stakes).
Nyquist aside, Uncle Mo is already responsible for the Gr1 producing stallions Outwork and Laoban, while his Gr1 Hollywood Derby winning son Mo Town has already sired 14 stakes winners, including 2025 Gr2 Inside Information Stakes winner Mystic Lake and Volleyballprincess, a ten length winner of the Ruthless Stakes.
With such exciting, unproven Grade One winning prospects as Golden Pal, Mo Donegal and Yaupon in the wings, it seems likely that Uncle Mo will enjoy further success as a sire of sires.
Uncle Mo daughters also continue to excel, with Uncle Mo ranking as the broodmare sire of reigning US Horse Of The Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). A winner of eight of ten starts, including both the Gr1 Longines Kentucky Oaks and Gr1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff of 2024, Thorpedo Anna is out of the Uncle Mo mare Sataves.
Thorpedo Anna after her big moment (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Thorpedo Anna was one of eight stakes winners produced by Uncle Mo mares in 2024, with this tally including the Gr1 winners Muth (Arkansas Derby) and Howard Wolowitz (Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson Stakes).
Another son of Uncle Mo, Royal Mo, went close to having a pair of winners at Turffontein on Saturday with Royal Mo gelding Count Huhtikuu winning the fourth race.
Royal Mo is also the sire of Bob’s Your Uncle, who finished second in the eighth and final race. Count Huhtikuu and Bob’s Your Uncle were Royal Mo’s only runners on the card.
