Mike de Kock’s Ertijaal and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Highland Reel, the only two runners in Sunday’s HK$20 million Audemars Piguet QEII Cup to emerge from this year’s Dubai World Cup meeting, pleased their respective handlers when they went through their paces during Monday track work at a rain-soaked Sha Tin
The race carries a purse of $HK20-million and South African-born Douglas Whyte, multiple Hong Kong champion jockey, has been confirmed for the ride
The Hong Kong Derby winner had to overcome a strong challenge from stablemate Military Attack inside the final furlong, but he got up in the last strides under Tommy Berry to prevail.
Olivier Doleuze says “There’s no pressure on me or the horse. Nobody’s watching us. He will enjoy the little cut in the track and the distance is no problem so he might surprise a few people.”
Less than 2 hours till this year’s HK$14 million Audemars Piguet QEII Cup. The event has proved a profitable one for Mike de Kock who saddled two previous winners in Iridescence and Archipenko. He fields a strong double hander Vercingetorix and Sanshaawes. Will he lift the Cup a third time?
Mike de Kock runners Vercingetorix and Sanshaawes draw 3 and 8
Injury sidelines Akeed Mofeed for the Audmars Piguet QEII Cup, the South African contingent settles in and ‘Mauritian Magician’ Karis Teetan gets a surprise call-up
“There’s only two of us here who can ride the bottom weight. Joao can only ride one horse in the race so it gives me a chance and when I get the chance, I do my best and give it my all”
All the big names will line up in Hong Kong on Sunday April 27
The SA flag will fly proudly in Hong Kong for the Audemars Piguet QEII Cup, where Mike De Kock continues his support of the race since 2004.
This time last week we were looking forward to the 163rd renewal of the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met
In a new weekly column we look at some of the past weekend’s highlights, and set the fractions with Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth WSB Cape Town Met racemeeting
A seasoned racing fan writes that in the zone between 15 and 3 minutes before the official race time, nobody is interested in listening to the personal fancies and various constructions of the presenters’ exotic permutations
