Muwaary (Anthony Delpech) wins the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes easily (Pic: JC Photos)
Trainer Mike de Kock and jockey Anthony Delpech didn’t want to get too carried away after Muwaary (AUS) had doddled Saturday’s R250 000 Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein.
On reflection on Sunday, however, they’ll be looking forward to his next few runs with some anticipation.
Delpech felt that Sheikh Hamdan’s hard-galloping three-year-old “hadn’t beaten much” following the scratching of ante-post favourite Bull Valley.
Mike shared his sentiments, noting that the two Ready To Run Cups worth a joint R4,5-million had owners and trainers “chasing the money” earlier in the day, leaving Muwaary to test his mettle against runners rated between 6 and 20 points below his 100-rating in a Graded race worth a pitiful R250 000.
The stable would not have dismissed the big loot if they had runners that qualified for R2R, but that’s not the issue.
Rich Non Black Type sweepstakes races staged on the same afternoon as a low-prized Graded event for three-year-olds are bound to attract more highly-rated runners.
All that said, and in our customary fashion of comparing recorded race times over a given distance, let’s look at the reasons why the connections of Muwaary can draw much encouragement from his 2.25-length win, post-race.
Muwaary (rated 100), clocked 84,80s over the distance. This compares well with the times set by previous winners of the Graham Beck like Kavanagh (85,23s) and Astro News (84,24s) but more importantly was the fastest time on Saturday over this trip.
Lineker (rated 100) won the BSA Ready To Run Cup in a time of 85,91s after a hard-fought finish.
Champagne Haze (rated 90) won the CTS Ready To Run Cup in a time of 85,37s, defeating the previously unbeaten Rabada (rated 111), who posted 85,93s.
Starling Stakes winner Madame Du Bois (rated 102), completed the 1400m journey in 86,18s.
Muwaary beat the Tarry duo of Liege and the late finishing Malak El Moolook, with the fancied KZN raider Unbelievable Chad running prominently but fading out for fourth.
Mike De Kock – feature double
De Kock, who also won the Gr3 Yellowwwod Handicap earlier in the day, said after the race : “In his last run Muwaary was beaten 1.55-lengths by Seventh Plain (in the Gr1 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Greyville), but that was from a wide draw. It’s almost impossible to win from that deep at Greyville. You need a horse that is well above average and things have to go your way in the race.
“When Muwaary came back to Johannesburg we put him away in the paddock for three or four weeks. He had a good rest and furnished well and he’s come along very nicely. Well done to Sheik Hamdan, Angus Gold and the Shadwell Team.”
Muwaary, raised in Australia by JE Abrahams (NSW) and purchased at the Inglis Easter Sale, is a son of the deceased O’Reilly, a former multiple champion sire in New Zealand and Hong Kong. He sired 80 stakes winners including 16 individual Gr1 winners before his untimely death late last year.
Muwaary is out of the stakes winning Anabaa mare, Silently.
He was purchased for A$ 525 000 and took his stakes to R262 500 – with a bright future ahead of him.
He is a winner of 3 races with 1 place from his 5 starts.
Pencil his name in!
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Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes (SAf-Gr3)
Turffontein, South Africa, October 31, R250k, 1400m, turf, good, 1.24.08
1 – MUWAARY (AUS), 60.0, b c 3, O’reilly (NZ) – Silently (AUS) by Anabaa (USA). Owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum; Breeder bred in Australia; trainer MF de Kock; jockey A Delpech
2 – Liege (SAF), 60.0, b c 3, Dynasty (SAF) – Lyrical Linda (SAF) by Jallad (USA)
3 – Malak El Moolook (SAF), 60.0, ch c 3, King’s Chapel (AUS) – Lee Danzig (SAF) by Qui Danzig (USA)
Margins: 2.25, 1.25, 0.10
