A fairytale that brightened the gloom of 2020, a year that all of us would rather forget, looks set to continue.
Koos Nkale’s tough-as-teak Willow Magic colt MK’S Pride took his earnings over the R1 million mark as he clinched his seventh victory with a typically gutsy showing to win Sunday’s R300 000 Gr2 Joburg Spring Challenge at Turffontein.
A thrilled Warren Kennedy salutes as MK’S Pride storms to victory (Pic – JC Photos)
He has only ever raced one horse. So we probably can’t blame Mr Nkale for believing that owning a racehorse is a fun, easy and profitable pursuit. One arrives, watches the race, lifts the trophy, sips the champers and banks the cheque.
But sometimes it works like that, and for the former schoolteacher, who as a punter dreamt of owning his own racehorse, it has worked a charm.
Carrying his favourite soccer team’s black and gold finery, MK’s Pride (2-1) powered home in the Kaizer Chief strip under regular pilot Warren Kennedy to win his second start of the new season, in the process securing his second Gr2 title and looking set for a profitable term.
With Joey Soma’s champion Got The Greenlight back after a nine week absence and taking his time to unwind down the inside rail, MK’s Pride put his head down and fought on to beat the improved again Bingwa (16-1) by 0,60 lengths in a time of 89,88 secs. The victory meant a feature double on the afternoon for the Peter-Kennedy combination, who earlier had won the fairer sex equivalent with the relentless galloper, Big Burn.
With the Summer Cup as his short-term goal, Got The Greenlight (5-2) emerged with his big reputation intact and was 0,90 lengths away. He will come on lengths with the benefit of this run under his belt and will be infinitely more comfortable over slightly further.
MK’S Pride shows his blanket off (Pic – JC Photos)
Bred by Summerhill, the winner is a son of Willow Magic (Dubawi) out of the modest one-time winning Admire Main mare, Ikimasu.
He has now won 7 races with 6 places from 14 starts for stakes of R1 183 600.
So a horse nobody wanted at sale has earned over a R1 million in these austere times and looks set for plenty more. But we need more of these happy stories!
This was Alistair Cohen’s last feature race call on SA soil for the next seven months at least. Best of luck to the young man as he moves on to Dubai to pursue his career.
