Mike de Kock scored a cross-province feature double on Saturday with Sir David Baird winning the Listed Guineas Trial at Greyville and the dour stayer Kinaan powering home shortly after that to win the R150 000 Listed Kenilworth Cup in Cape Town.
Callan Murrayy steers Kinaan to win the Listed Kenilworth Cup (Pic- Chase Liebenberg Photography)
The lead-in celebrations (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
Fresh off his Java Handicap second a fortnight ago, Kinaan took on seven locals in the 3200m contest and simply outstayed them to register a welcome first win in over a year and a half.
Placed in both the Gold Cup and Gold Vase, Kinaan always looked a cut above his opposition and he was ridden confidently by Callan Murray.
The 5yo swept past the leaders inside the 200m to hold off the attention of topweight Master’s Eye to win by 1,75 lengths.
The under sufferance Woodland’s Forest came out of the pack to grab third, ahead of the long-time pacemaker Red Peril.
Kinaan has now won 3 races with 8 places from his 23 starts for stakes of R516 675.
A home bred by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, he is a son of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) out of the UK-bred Dazzledar (Zamindar) – who is out of a full-sister to Danehill.
He is presumably named after jockey Mick Kinane, who partnered the former European great to five of his six wins.
