Anthony Delpech and King’s Knight are on their own at the finish
Mike Miller was amongst the KZN trainers who scooped the honours at Greyville on Saturday, in the process bagging four of the five features and giving the Gauteng and Cape raiders a psychological walloping on the eve of Super Saturday. Nobody was happier than Gold Circle Racing Ambassador Bill Lambert – a part owner of the Gr2 Umkhomazi winner – and whose first feature win it was.
Former Gold Circle Chairman and DA Councillor Lambert’s cheery face and exemplary public speaking skills are a shining light in a sport where few speak good and proper english any more.
After having been around the KZN racing scene for what feels like decades, it is unbelievable to note that this was his first feature winner.
And in the spirit of the occasion, on Friday Lambert declared himself ready to ride King’s Knight if he happened to win – and may have to eat his words.
Despite the engagement of top jockey Anthony Delpech, Miller’s King Of Kings colt was easy to back at 6-1, as the market sided with Justin Snaith’s Buckinghampshire, and Charles Laird’s impressive debut winner Top Form.
Neither of the fancied pair was to feature though and this opened the door for King’s Knight to win rather easily by 3,25 lengths, beating PE raiding debut winner Oriental Tiger, who managed to hold out a flying Vous Et Var, who caught the eye as he got going too late.
The winning lead-in. Bill Lambert is third from the left
King’s Knight ran the 1200m in a time of 72,26 secs.
Corne Spies’ Paulus ran a gutsy fourth – after his Flamingo Park prep on Monday, and he looks a lot better than his recent form and the Kimberley maiden winner tag!
It will be back to the drawing board for Buckinghampshire, who jumped from a wide draw but was disappointing again. His early stakes win at Kenilworth was all well and good – but he looks to be more talk than action at this stage of the game.
Trainer Mike Miller said that his charge enjoyed Greyville and that he had tried to keep King’s Knight to this track.
Anthony Delpech rode a double on the day and appeared quite impressed with his mount.
“He carries his head a bit high but he has a nice turn of foot. When he learns to race he will be a very nice horse,” said the Avontuur sponsored jockey.
The Waterford Stud-bred King’s Knight is by King Of Kings out of the four-time winning Rocky Marriage mare, Reason To Rock.
He has now won twice and run 7 places from 9 starts for stakes of R248 200.
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Gr2 Umkhomazi Stakes (SAf-Gr2)
Greyville, South Africa, July 18, R200k, 1200m, turf, good, 1.12.26
1 – KING’S KNIGHT (SAF), 58.0, ch c 2, King Of Kings (SAF) – Reason To Rock (SAF) by Rocky Marriage (USA). Owner Messrs Jag Kalyan, A Brewer, P Govender, W F Lambert & Miller Racing Syndicate (Nom : Mr Sterling M Miller); Breeder Waterford Stud; trainer MD Miller; jockey A Delpech
2 – Oriental Tiger (SAF), 58.0, b g 2, Lecture (USA) – Colonial Tiger (SAF) by Tiger Ridge (USA)
3 – Vous Et Var (SAF), 58.0, b c 2, Var (USA) – Candy Vous (ARG) by Candy Stripes (USA)
Margins: 3.25, 0.50, 0.10
