Mike de Kock announced his plans for the Australian-bred daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar after the three-year-old had given him his first win in the Betting World-sponsored Grade 1, bravely holding off the sustained challenge of Captain Of All by the width of a Tote ticket in a time only 0.07 sec outside the course record.
He said: “She has very good acceleration and in the Southern Cross last time she led which was exactly the opposite to the way I wanted her ridden. I think the Computaform Sprint will be next followed by one or two races in Durban including the SA Fillies Sprint at Scottsville. I will have to talk nicely to Mary and see if we can then get her on a plane out of here.”
Mary Slack, who owns her in partnership with Michael Javett (joint-owner of the legendary Politician), didn’t seem quite so keen on the last bit and said: “I’m always nervous about running them again when they have done so well.”
It was announced over the public address that this was De Kock’s 100th Grade 1 win but the actual total is 102. For a long time the trainer’s website omitted two in 2010 – Mother Russia’s Empress Club and Gluwein’s dead-heat in the Majorca – but the mistake has now been corrected.
Almost a third of those Group 1s were ridden by Weichong Marwing who led over two furlongs out, far sooner than he or de Kock wanted.
He explained: “I wanted to be one or two lengths off them and I thought Trip Tease would last longer but his speed wasn’t good enough for this filly. I had to open my deck of cards and allow my horse to use her action.”
Interestingly both he and Sean Cormack on the runner-up flashed past the post convinced that Dennis Drier’s 9-2 chance had beaten the favourite.
The strongly fancied Fly By Night could finish only a disappointing seventh and Mike Bass said: “She had an infection in a joint a week and a half ago. She had to go on antibiotics and I couldn’t work her or prepare her properly. Going down to the start I could see that she wasn’t comfortable on it.”
The stipes ordered veterinary examinations on Copper Parade (ninth) and Dressed In Cotton (last). The latter had a nasal discharge and coughed
but nothing showed up with Copper Parade.
Normanz had his stalls cert withdrawn. He delayed the start by bursting through the gate and breaking his breastplate. He became restless when reloaded and lost four lengths.
Brutal Force recouped R500 000 of his R4.5 million purchase price by just fighting off Zambezi River in the Cape Thoroughbred Sales Stakes and will doubtless be relieved to be shot of the ‘most expensive horse’ millstone. But he might not be so happy to learn that further cuts are planned.
Joey Ramsden said: “He will definitely be gelded. I know it’s a shame but at 600kg he wouldn’t survive otherwise.”
Markus Jooste’s 4-1 winner was the third leg of a treble for Piere Strydom who also scored on Music App and Perini for Darryl Hodgson and Hassen Adams.
Pictures
- Alboran Sea (right) holds on from Captain Of All – Cape Flying Championship (Liesl King)
- Brutal Force (right) fights off Zambezi River (Liesl King)