The champion Horse Chestnut started the Dingaans-De Kock roll in 1998 and the master trainer made it win number 8 in the grade 2 event when the Rafeef colt Union Square led home a stable trifecta in the R400 000 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans at Turffontein on Saturday.
In a glorious race for the Randjesfontein team, the De Kock trio of Union Square, Shoemaker and East Coast filled the top three places, but there could be some questions to be answered by some of the jockeys.
Union Square gives Randall Simons a feature double – stable East Coast stays on for third (Pic – JC Photos)
“It was a terrible pace for the first 400m to 500m and in fact it was quite dangerous,” lamented De Kock after Randall Simons took advantage of matters to ride a clever race from the 1 gate on Union Square.
With the luckless Shoemaker (5-4) battling to find his stride off the jumbled gallop, Simons unleashed Union Square early in the straight and it was a move that counted!
At the line he had a length to spare over Shoemaker (5-4), clocking a time of 97,99 secs, to give Simons a lovely feature double.
East Coast (5-1) is going to be more effective over further and stayed on for third, a further three quarters of a length back.
Nathan Kotzen’s KZN visitor Royal Victory (17-2) was the first non De Kock runner home and maintained his consistent form, after Union Square turned the tables following the Graham Beck Stakes at end October.
Union squared! Mike de Kock, Jehan Malherbe, Randall Simons, Di de Kock and Johnny Geroudis pose for the JC team
A R700 000 National Yearling Sale purchase and raced by Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Union Square was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein from Ridgemont’s Highlands’ Redoute’s Choice stallion Rafeef (AUS), who was trained by Mike de Kock, out of the twice winning Oasis Dream mare Square Dance (GB).
Union Square has won 2 races with 4 places from 6 starts for stakes of R431 750.
It will be interesting to see which of the De Kock charges travel to the Cape to take on the likes of Cousin Casey and Charles Dickens in the R2 million Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas next month.
