Mike de Kock – long day at the office
Mike De Kock had to wait until after dark to win a race in the town that originally made him famous. And that came in the form of fast improving stayer Kingston Mines who outgunned his opposition to win a dour struggle for supremacy in the R250 000 Gr3 Caradoc Gold Cup.
De Kock was doing great things in the UAE Derby with Mubtaahij but would have felt just as pleased with Kingston Mines’ relatively modest cheque of ZAR 156 250 at Turffontein on Saturday.
His thirteen Classic Day runners produced just one winner and the failure of Entisaar and Ertijaal would have been particularly disheartening.
But the real reward with Kingston Mines will lie in the fact that this resolute stayer’s great win gives De Kock another bow to his Gold Cup arrow for Super Saturday on 26 July. And in a discipline where South Africa has only limited talent, every bullet counts. They say that ‘when you have a stayer you have a chance’.
Archipenko’s son Kingston Mines came to prominence on J&B Met day when he led all the way off a dictatorially favourable pace to snatch top honours in the Gr2 Urban Honey Stayers run over 2800m.
Gavin Lerena – two winners on the day
Over 50m further on Classic Day and displaying his versatility and being sat on by Gavin Lerena again, off a pace that wasn’t much hotter than a lukewarm cuppa tea, he produced the goods when called upon.
The race saw a field of ten runners after the withdrawal of Shimmering Gem and Wild Ash and Supertube was out quickly to lead Rodeo Sioux and Savage Wind, with Kingston Mines relaxed in fourth and five lengths off the modest gallop.
The sedentary pace saw the order largely unchanged but at the 400m Supertube faded out as Lions Emblem went for broke with Kingston Mines gaining eyecatching momentum down his outside.
With chances to many at the 300m marker Kingston Mines got the better of Lions Emblem in a typically dour stamina struggle and gained the ascendancy to win by 1,25 lengths in a modest time of 188,60 secs.
Lions Emblem came again to nab second, ahead of Heart Of A Lion who did little wrong to earn a third cheque. He made a respiratory noise according to the official Stipes Report.
Stipes Report excerpt:
At the 2600m S’IL VOUS PLAIT (S Brown) was unbalanced when it took several awkward strides.
Approaching the 150m RAAEES (AUS) (A Delpech) was awkwardly placed on the inside of SKY RISE (G Wrogemann), which shifted in slightly, and was unbalanced when it clipped the heels of HEART OF A LION (M Yeni), which shifted out marginally. The Stewards could not apportion blame to any individual rider regarding this incident and took no further action
Kingston Mines took his earnings to R577 875 and made it 4 wins with 5 places from his 13 starts.
He was bred in the UK by Miss Kirsten Rausing & Mrs S Rogers at Lanwades Stud.
From Archipenko’s first crop, Kingston Mines was a yearling purchase from Staffordstown at Goffs in 2012.
Kingston Mines is out of the very well-related staying Nashwan mare Alexandrine, who won in the UK from 2000m to 2800m.
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Gr3 Caradoc Gold Cup (SAf-Gr3)
Turffontein, South Africa, March 28, R250k, 2850m, turf, soft, 3.08.06
1 – KINGSTON MINES (GB), 60.0, ch g 4, Archipenko (USA) – Alexandrine (IRE) by Nashwan (USA). Owner RMA Parker,G Thomson,MF deKock,LM Nestadt,AH Parker,DanikaStud(Nom:RABartlett),Milkwood Stud(Nom:IG Robertson) & Wicklow P/ship(Nom: Mr R C B Price); Breeder bred in UK; trainer MF de Kock; jockey G Lerena
2 – Lions Emblem (SAF), 56.5, b g 4, Lion Tamer (SAF) – Model Emblem (SAF) by National Emblem (SAF)
3 – Heart Of A Lion (SAF), 59.5, ch g 4, Seul Amour (NZ) – Action Lady (SAF) by Counter Action (SAF)
Margins: 1.25, 0.15, 1.10
