De Kock finishes best of all to win the Selangor Cup – Queens Plate could be next target
Brett Crawford is having second thoughts about running De Kock in next month’s Kuda Insurance Matchem Stakes after the way the Selangor winner scored on his return in the Eben Coetzee Handicap at Kenilworth on Saturday.
This was the colt’s first run since fracturing his near-fore knee in the Grand Parade Cape Guineas last December and his first time over a trip as short as 1 000m. Yet he was backed from 7-1 to 4-1 joint favourite, shot between horses to lead over 100m out and win under hands and heels. He was the third leg of a four-timer for Corne Orffer.
Crawford, who landed a treble, said: “He hadn’t been on grass since his injury and he was super impressive. I thought he would be running on at the end but I didn’t expect him to win like that.
“The problem is that the Matchem is weight-for-age and he is only rated 91. He will go up a bit for this but he will still be under sufferance. I will discuss it with Mary Slack but long term I believe he will be good enough to go for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.”
The Queen’s Plate is also the objective of Readytogorightnow who landed the odds under Sean Cormack in the Racing.It’s A Rush Allowance Plate, his first race since taking fourth in the Champions Cup. The five-year-old missed almost 12 months after winning last year’s Winter Classic.
Justin Snaith had a good afternoon
Justin Snaith, celebrating Saturday’s marriage to long-time girlfriend Lauren Johnston with a four-timer, said: “He tweaked a tendon in the Winter Classic and, while he didn’t pull it, he aggravated it. He ran here because I don’t want him running at Durbanville.”
Glen Puller will adopt different tactics on Asstar next time after the 11-10 favourite was beaten a neck by Bernard Kantor’s 8-1 shot Door Of Deception for the Snaith-Cormack combination in the Sophomore Sprint.
Grant van Niekerk settled him before bringing him to challenge just inside the final furlong but Door Of Deception dug deep ” just when Cormack thought he was going to be beaten ” to win by a neck.
Puller said: “The only doubt about Asstar was his stamina and he got the trip, but he is much faster than this. He can settle in front and, when they come at him, he goes on again.”
Val De Ra’s full brother Vincente was in front at halfway but, as Vaughan Marshall had indicated, he proved to need the run and was only fourth.
Marshall, who has great faith in the colt, said: “He won’t run for a while as there is nothing for him, but I will take him to Jo’burg.”
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