Sheik Your Booty! Anthony Delpech gets Desert Sheik up to win the eThekwini Sprint
The majors have always been Mike De Kock’s game. So a big day with two minor feature victories may not go down as exactly vintage stuff. But Desert Sheik’s victory in the R120 000 eThekwini Sprint still meant some degree of respectability for our champion trainer.
The fiercely competitive De Kock will not list 2013 as his luckiest year in terms of the Vodacom Durban July.
He landed up without a solitary representative in the race, and then his arch ally and biggest threat (not it’s not Justin Snaith) in Sean Tarry goes and wins two Gr1’s and a Gr2 on the day.
De Kock was nevertheless sportingly magnanimous and he was his chirpy old self after the recent Var Durban Dash winner Desert Sheik had held on narrowly to dispose of the luckless Kingston Boy.
The gelding was yet another winner on a red letter day for Drakenstein stallion, Trippi.
He is owned by one of the most powerful partnerships in racing in this country and includes Drakenstein Stud, Markus Jooste, Bernard Kantor and De Kock himself.
The 3yo non black type 1200m feature was run at a solid clip as Casual Var led Viking Hero and Strongmind, with Desert Sheik further back.
Into the home run Grant Maroun’s Viking Hero grabbed the lead and moved through looking to cause a major upset.
But inside the final 300m the race changed complexion as Kingston Boy slipped down the inside and he and Desert Sheik fought all the way to the line
Anthony Delpech got the best out of Desert Sheik and he held on narrowly to win well by a head in a time of 72,36 secs.
Karis Teetan had a frustrating day and had to be content with second on the Doug Campbell trained Kingston Boy, while the consistent Regal Eagle flashed through late for third.
Trainer Mike De Kock labelled Desert Sheik a ‘helluva nice horse’ and confirmed that he was ‘getting better and better’.
In a reference to the illustrious ownership, De Kock joked that he was in ‘illustrious company’.
He also said that Trippi ‘sure gets them to run.’
Jockey Anthony Delpech said that Desert Sheik had won a very good race with ‘a lot of pudding on his back’.
“He is just below the best around and he is definitely improving. I must also commend the course manager on the condition of the track,” he said.
Desert Sheik was bred by Klawervlei Stud (their third winner of the day) and as stated is by Trippi out of the top class four time winning Saint Sever mare, Saudies.
Desert Sheik is a winner of 5 races with 3 places from 9 starts for stake earnings of R419 250.
Desert Sheik Is an R800000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale Book 1 graduate, and should continue to win his way through the divisions.
