Kingston Mines – expected to produce a top effort
The marathon races may make for great crowd spectacles as they pass the winning post twice and the shuffling of position and changing tactics are intriguing to watch. But for sheer equine quality, there really is little to enthuse about in the R500 000 Gr2 Gold Bowl which will bring the curtain down on Champions Day.
Tired, out-of-form, unenthusiastic. Owners generally don’t want to tag their horses with those labels but there are a few here that defy the Greg Blank business approach to racehorse ownership. In a recent interview with Michael Clower, Blank cautioned against people ‘thinking with their hearts rather than their heads.’
Staying handicaps are often populated with a few relatively no-hoping passengers and the field of fourteen that line up for the 3200m on Saturday is no exception on that front.
Improved Sort
The form of the Gr3 Caradoc Gold Cup from Classic Day looks to come through strongly and the winner of that event was Mike De Kock’s Kingston Mines – one of the most improved stayers around.
The 4yo son of Archipenko, who shares his name with a live blues joint in Chicago, dictated matters from the front when winning the Gr2 Urban Honey Stayers (formerly the J&B Reserve Stayers) on Met day and then followed up with a resolute effort in the Caradoc Gold Cup .
He showed that the 3200m of Saturday’s race is well within his scope when he stayed on in a Pinnacle Plate on Sansui Summer Cup day behind Shimmering Gem.
Jockey Strike
Piere Strydom rides Lion’s Emblem
He beat Lions Emblem by a convincing 1,25 lengths in the Caradoc and meets the consistent Verdonese galloper on 2,5kgs worse terms.
The jockey strike of Piere Strydom on Lions Emblem suggests the son of Lion Tamer deserves consideration.
The three- time winner has proven that he stays well and should suit Striker’s relax and swoop style of riding.
Third in the Caradoc was Heart Of A Lion, who is also 2,5kgs better off with Kingston Mines. The son of Seul Amour had never gone that far before but despite a respiratory noise, finished a neck behind Lion’s Emblem – who was the stronger finisher of the two.
The Weiho Marwing trained Sky Rise ran fifth in this event last year and showed some improvement for a 2,50 length fourth in the Caradoc.
He is as much as 4,5kgs better off with Kingston Mines but needs to prove that he can maintain his consistency.
Marshall Duo
Gothic – is very consistent but cannot get his head in front
The Vaughan Marshall pair of Gothic and Desert Swirl both stay well, but neither can be relied upon in any great measure.
Gothic is the classier more proven of the two and he had a pipe opener in the Listed Drum Star when 10,75 lengths behind Bouclette Top.
He previously raced in KZN and Gauteng so knows Turffontein well.
At his penultimate start he finished 2,75 lengths behind Kingston Mines in the Urban Honey, where the pace may not have suited him.
Lacking
He now meets the De Kock runner on a kilo better terms – but Gothic’s lack of heart in the finish suggests Kingston Mines will beat him again.
Desert Swirl has three staying stakes victories to his credit but has not impressed at his last few runs and looks hopeful of plugging on into the back end of the quartets at best.
The engagement of Anton Marcus to ride the A P Arrow filly Coby is an interesting one.
The 4yo has won 3 of her 12 starts but did not set the world alight at her two recent feature starts and tries this trip after winning her season debut run in August over 2850m.
Dark Horse
Anthony Delpech
Kingston Mines’ stablemate Raaees was beaten 3 lengths in the Caradoc Gold Cup and is 5kgs better off with his stablemate.
The son of Duke Of Marmalade will be ridden by Anthony Delpech and being out of a Zabeel mare is likely to relish the test and could be a dark horse.
J’S Outsider, Supertube and the Casey Tibbs mare Rodeo Sioux were all well beaten in the Caradoc Gold Cup and will need to improve to feature.
Gold Cup Hopes
There is talk that Kingston Mines may be targeting the Gold Cup at the end of the season in KZN.
De Kock would want him to win this well and he looks the right horse. Lion’s Emblem and the favourite’s stablemate Raaees could be best of the rest.
