Trainer Mike de Kock will be a busy man today. He saddles a host of runners on Guineas Day at Turffontein and also has some very important business in Dubai, where he has six Super Saturday runners.
Light The Lights – big hope in the Gr1 Jebel Hatta
De Kock, who is grinding away at his 3000 winner milestone, will be looking to build on his 2997 winners.
The $1.8m Super Saturday meeting is the major prep for Dubai World Cup day.
This quality programme allows trainers to put the finishing touches to their equine stars before appearing on racing’s biggest stage – Dubai World Cup day – on 25 March.
As the official dress rehearsal for the Dubai World Cup it is a major social event too.
De Kock has six runners on the evening, including a treble handed attack in the $300 000 Gr1 Jebel Hatta, sponsored by Emirates Airlines, which is an 1800m turf event.
Flashback – the high class Vercingetorix wins 2014 Jebel Hatta
The SA champion has won this event four times – dating back 13 years to Ipi Tombe in 2003, followed by Surveyor in 2004, Master Of Hounds in 2012 and the most recent, Vercingetorix in 2014.
Ertijaal finished third in the same race last year, but his recent form is sketchy and Light The Lights ranks as De Kock’s spearhead.
The son of Western Winter has run three outstanding prep runs – winning his first, then going second to Promising Run – last time finding the mile on the short side when running fifth behind the top-class Championship.
The 7yo Sanshaawes is the third of the trio and won his penultimate start. He is as game as the day is long and Bernard Fayd’herbe will get the best out of him.
De Kock’s other runners are Fawree, Lindo Amor and Tahanee.
