The Mike de Kock-trained three-time Gr 1-winning sprinter Alboran Sea has been retired after sustaining a knee chip when running second in Saturday’s Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint and will be covered by another former De Kock-trained star Soft Falling Rain in the forthcoming breeding sason.
Meanwhile, two of De Kock’s star two-year-old fillies Entisaar and Shaama are also unlikely to run again this season.
De Kock said that the connections of Australian-bred three-year-old Alboran Sea would not be considering operating on the knee and bringing her back to racing. Firstly, her local record, in which she won the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m as a two-year-old and two weight for age Gr 1 Sprints over 1000m this season, the Betting World Cape Flying Championship and the Computaform Sprint, could hardly be improved upon and any further wins would not increase her already high stud value. Secondly, an overseas campaign has been ruled out due to the arduous five month journey via Mauritius and Europe that has to be undertaken to campaign horses in places like Dubai.
De Kock said he had suspected something had been amiss on Saturday when the Rock Of Gibraltar filly had not gone through with her effort in her normal fashion. She had been in a position to challenge the eventual winner Carry On Alice, but had made little impression and only just managed to hold on for second, which was still a fine effort considering she had to come from an unfavourable high draw.
Shaama had earlier started favourite for the Allan Robertson but disappointed, running a well beaten seventh, and she was found to have pulled up lame on her off fore, so will be given the rest of the season off.
The Allan Robertson winner Entisaar has pulled up well but De Kock believes she has done enough this season, having also won the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery, and he is also not convinced she will stay much further than sprint distances so she “will be put on ice”.
His Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion fourth-placed Muwaary “wants to go the Derby distance”, being by the classic producing sire O’Reilly. De Kock is “not in a hurry” to run him again this season as he is an immature sort, but he might consider running him in the Gr 1 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on Vodacom Durban July day and/or the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes on Super Saturday provided he drew well.
By David Thiselton
Picture: Alboran Sea (Nkosi Hlophe)
