Father-and-son training duo Mike and Mathew de Kock made a dream start to their brand new training partnership when the unbeaten Spumante Dolce carried too many guns to win the R750 000 Wilgerbosdrift Gr2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas on a weather-elements delayed Turffontein programme on Saturday.
Raymond Danielson has Spumante Dolce in command as third placed Quid Pro Quo (Piere Strydom) tries hard (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The first leg of the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara was labelled a one-horse show by many of us who couldn’t imagine the popular Quid Pro Quo getting beaten, but fairytale it was not meant to be for Barend Botes and the new owners as the De Kocks and their longstanding owner Mary Slack showed off yet another big gun.
A daughter of the unstoppable Vercingetorix (Silvano), Spumante Dolce is out of Wilgerbosdrift’s Dansili mare Espumanti, who won twice at Gr2 level and has already produced 2022 Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Sparkling Water (Silvano) and the very smart filly Champagne Cocktail (Silvano).
Labelled a ‘proper filly’ by Mike de Kock, Spumante Dolce was given a perfect forward ride by Raymond Danielson, who partnered her dam Espumanti to her first two wins!
Holding a stalking box seat position from her 3 gate behind pacesetter Vulcanite, Spumante Dolce (7-1) moved forward halfway up the straight with Quid Pro Quo (4-10) in pursuit and it was race over as the De Kock runner strode clear to beat VJ’s Angel (14-1), who ran on from way back, by a quarter length in a 98,94 secs.
Quid Pro Quo lacked her usual sparkle but was not disgraced a further quarter length back, with Fiery Pegasus (20-1) rounding off the quartet.
Racing in a partnership of Wilgerbosdrift and Bradley Ralph, the winner was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein and took her stakes bank to R609 375 from 3 undefeated starts.
Mike de Kock will be optimistic that he could be looking at an interesting few months and knows what it takes to go all the way after Igugu won the SA Triple Tiara in 2011. The champion was followed by Cherry On The Top (2013), Summer Pudding (2020), War Of Athena (2021) and Rain In Holland (2022).
The second leg of the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara is the R1 250 000 Wilgerbosdrift Gr1 SA Fillies Classic to be run over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday 1 March.
The third leg is the R750 000 Wilgerbosdrift Gr2 SA Oaks run over 2450m at Turffontein on Saturday 29 March.
A bonus of R1 million will be paid to the connections of the filly that wins all three legs of the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara.
