Mike De Kock – big things to come this season
When Mike de Kock returned from an extended trip to Europe and Dubai earlier this week, he happily noted that the members of his current championship string based at Randjesfontein appeared to be “peaking” at the right time.
With the Highveld Summer Feature Blitz pending, and in Mike’s absence, assistant trainer Mathew de Kock and his team had done a fine job in preparing the stable’s numerous contenders for their respective bites at the tempting apples soon to present themselves on Gauteng’s tracks.
Mike’s words were barely spoken when three-year-old colt Oak Harbour won Race 1 over 1000m on sand at the Vaal last Tuesday, unleashing with his Maiden victory a series of winners for a yard coming to form with a bang.
In total, team Mdk recorded eight successes at three different race courses in five days. The stable’s sizzling salvo only ceased when Mathew simply had no more runners left to saddle following a popular treble at Turffontein on Saturday afternoon!
Mike was really chuffed with his staff on Saturday evening, mentioning them all by name but for the purposes of this article – Mat, Diane and their assistants at Randjesfontein; Nathan, John, Nicholas and company at Summerveld will have to do, all efforts are appreciated.
Mike commented: “This was a super week and I’m getting more excited by the day. We’ve had a very good month this October and a nice start to the season. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead this term. We’re a bit weak in the older-horse department having shipped a good few to Dubai for 2015, but our three-year-olds in South Africa are most exciting, we have some top class colts and fillies who will make their mark as the season progresses.”
One Fine Day wins and could be headed for Cape Town (JC Photos)
There is little doubt that One Fine Day, an easy winner of her comeback Novice run over 1000m on Saturday, is one of Mike’s fillies from the top drawer.
One Fine Day was allocated a merit rating of 103 rating after her stunning performance against the colts in the Gr1 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on July Day at Greyville. Given almost no chance by most experts, she ran on well for second to Afrikaburn despite being caught in a no-inch-given elbowing match between the males in the early part. More than that, she challenged the talented winner in the latter part of the race and had the likes of Equus Champion colt Harry’s Son, Anjaal and Jayyed behind her when they hit the line.
After her first win over 1000m at the Vaal in April, Mike expressed the view that One Fine Day had so much speed that she might run herself out of steam beyond 1200m, but having proved true class and the possession of at least a measure of classic stamina since, there is a chance that the daughter of Trippi may join her formidable stablemate Majmu on the float to Cape Town for the Avontuur Estate Fillies Guineas early in December.
Mike commented: “One Fine Day’s brilliant 1400m run came at the beginning of July and the few months we’ve had since matters at this age so there is a chance that she’ll see out the mile in time, but I believe she’ll hold her own from 1000m – 1400m.
“One Fine Day won a nice race on her return here, but she ran below her rating. We were behind on her fitness, she’d done just enough to make it back in this sprint, so I don’t want to read too much into this result. She has plenty to come and with her owner Gaynor Rupert being based in Cape Town, we will strongly consider running her in the Guineas, though there are other races like the Starling Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein that fall well within her scope.”
Raised at Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud, One Fine Day is the third foal of the Kingmambo mare, Peace Bell, who is an own sister to four-time Gr1 winner Campanologist (now a stallion) and a close relation of Glorious Song’s great family of sires including Singspiel, Rahy and Rakeen. On her purple pedigree and what she’s shown to date, One Fine Day could still be anything, and that’s really exciting.
Trip To Rio was very impressive (JC Photos)
Trip To Rio (Delpech) rallied bravely under pressure to defeat his older rival Lisnoble in a handicap.
Another Drakenstein-bred three-year-old by Trippi, Trip To Rio followed his recent Maiden win at the Vaal with a game win in a MR73 Handicap over 1600m, giving jockey Anthony Delpech a double for the stable.
It’s never easy for three-year-olds to win handicaps at this time of year, so this colt owned by Sheikh Hamdan must be a notch above average and Mike said: “Trip To Rio is a magnificent looking horse with lots of scope. I liked the way he stepped up to win a handicap after his Maiden, that’s a good feat in itself. He has the potential, he’s one to watch, but he’ll have to up his game even more if he is to play a role in the Graded features later this season.”
Will I Do has feature potential (JC Photos)
Will I Do, a three-year-old filly by Tiger Ridge, posted a similarly impressive feat to follow her eye-catching Maiden success over 1800m at Turffontein last month. The grey is swiftly on the upgrade and won another good race over the same course and distance, clocking a much faster time under jockey Randall Simons.
This was a lowly MR68 handicap, but Will I Do’s win was full of merit.
Mike commented: “She had it all to do from a wide draw today and she did it in good style. They don’t often win from so far back at this track. Will I Do had Weiho Marwing’s promising Lemon Tea behind her in third and while we know that Lemon Tea wasn’t at her best, she did bring some fair feature race form from last season into the race. I am happy for my partners, Gary Grant and the Haynes family. I enjoy racing with good friends and let’s hope Will I Do fulfills every bit of her potential, she has a scopy pedigree.”
www.mikedekockracing.com
