Once South Africa’s highest rated 3yo’s at a point earlier this term, the Australian-bred Mount Pleasant produced another unenthusiastic performance at the Vaal on Thursday, finishing a 7,50 lengths last in a field of six.
Racing equipped with alumites in front and steel shoes behind, and without blinkers, Mount Pleasant was never in it as Garden Party skated into the lead in the 1000m Progress Plate and stayed on well to win.
Mount Pleasant loped along down the inside, never quickened and Callan Murray was standing up in the irons and hardly riding the colt in the final stages.
Mount Pleasant – going nowhere fast (Pic – JC Photos)
That’s 42,5 lengths back in his last four outings for the Vancouver colt after winning his first three starts from 1100m to 1450m, including beating decent older horses in the Gr2 Jo’burg Spring Challenge.
Running off a rating of 114 on Thursday, Mount Pleasant has literally fallen off the perch from the heady 127 allocated after his impressive Gr2 Joburg Spring Challenge victory
Trainer Mike de Kock said at the time that he believed that the handicapper’s assessment of 127 was spot-on.
While owner Dave Maclean races locally, De Kock indicated earlier that he also would be keen to have his charge on a plane to compete internationally. That’s how good he thinks – or thought – he is.
Mike de Kock – challenge with his talented Aussie (Pic – JC Photos)
De Kock said after the Joburg Spring Challenge win:
“We as trainers go into weight-for-age races with our eyes open, knowing that if a runner finishes close to the higher-rated horses or beats them, we can expect a significant penalty. Last week I had it at the back of my mind that Mount Pleasant could beat the top-rated Cirillo (MR127) and Chimichuri Run (126), but I knew he’d be penalised if he did so.Anyone who bemoans a penalty after a weight-for-age event knowing that they were competing against higher rated older horses, doesn’t understand how weight-for-age or merit rating works. Mount Pleasant is a genuine weight for age horse, he’ll be running in the classics and the WFA events and will probably be a top miler. He is not a handicapper.”
David Thiselton suggested on the Gold Circle website that Thursday’s Vaal outing was Mount Pleasant’s last chance to prove that he is not following in the footsteps of his Medaglia D’Oro sire Vancouver, who was unbeaten in five starts as a two-year-old, including the Gr1 Golden Slipper, but never got going as a three-year-old and was soon retired.
Mount Pleasant was signed for by Form Bloodstock’s Jehan Malherbe for A$ 90 000 at the 2019 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
He has run 7 times for the 3 wins and stakes of R231 000.
Can his fortunes be turned around by the master trainer?
