A decision to sidestep a possible SA Triple Tiara crown and rather take on mixed age opposition in the R1 million TAB Gr1 Empress Club Stakes, paid dividends for Mike de Kock and the connections when the massively talented 3yo Gimme A Nother kept her perfect record intact and made it 7 from 7, and a second Gr1 victory.
JP van der Merwe unleased the jet to see Gimme A Nother make it a perfect 7 (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Watching from Australia, it was De Kock’s ninth victory in the prestigious feature in the last eighteen renewals, and probably his most promising of an impressive honour roll!
The winner of the first two legs of the SA Triple Tiara, Gimme A Nother’s supporters’ nerves would have been shot when she was pulled out of the stalls just prior to the jump to be checked by the Vet.
“She is pretty straightforward, but her temperament is becoming a bit of a problem, even with the pony. She picked up a small cut under eye, but the Vet was happy. I went positive from her draw and with the sticky going I didn’t want to be too far back. She went through her gears and won well,” said JP van der Merwe, who is the only jockey to ride the beautiful daughter of Gimmethegreenlight.
Only six opponents turned up to take on the star 3yo, who started at prohibitive odds on a day where little went according to script.
But JP van der Merwe tracked his tough-as-teak stablemate Humdinger all the way around, and then unleased the jet to see Gimme A Nother make it a perfect 7 in a time of 100,43 secs.
Humdinger (25-2) stayed on with courage in second, with Mrs Geriatrix (5-1) putting in a solid performance in third.
As reported multiple times previously, Gimme A Nother is a fairytale on her own as a third generation stakes winner trained by Mike de Kock.
Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, she is by champion sire Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready) out of the Tiger Ride champion, Nother Russia,
Mary Slack purchased Gimme A Nother’s grandam Mother Russia from Klawervlei Stud as a dual Gr1 winner of the Fancourt Majorca and Empress Club Stakes. Mother Russia duly rewarded her new owner with victory in the Gr1 Paddock Stakes and in what was arguably the highlight of her star-studded career, the coveted Gr1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, a memorable occasion given that she thwarted the mighty Pocket Power’s bid of a fifth consecutive victory in the celebrated mile race.
There were high hopes for the champion daughter of Windrush when she retired to her owner’s Wilgerbosdrift paddocks as a four-time Gr1 winner. However, racing and breeding is fraught with incredible highs and the heartbreak that is the flip side, hence it was not just a cruel blow when Mother Russia died at age ten, her innings as a broodmare yielded just a single foal by Tiger Ridge.
Fortunately, that foal, a filly named Nother Russia, is keeping the dream alive.
Like her mom before her, she joined the De Kock stable but raced in the colours of Jessica Jell , who had purchased the chestnut from the Wilgerbosdrift draft for R550 000 at the National Yearling Sale.
She ended up a dual Gr1 winning eight-time winner.
With two Gr1 trophies in her perfect 7 from 7, Gimme A Nother has earned R2 525 000. And the world is her oyster, right now!
