Mike de Kock earlier this week scratched Horse Of The Year Dave The King from the Betway Summer Cup, but good news for his fans is that the gelding will be running in another race on Summer Cup Day.
“We’ve entered him for a Pinnacle Plate over 1400m, this will be a part of his build-up for the 2025 King’s Plate. The Turffontein 2000 is tough, just beyond his best,” Mike said.
It was also announced this week that Mathew de Kock will be returning from Australia to form a partnership with his dad. Mat has spent the last four years training in Cranbourne, Victoria, but will be heading up the Randjesfontein operation in the new year with Mike based at Summerveld.
Mike has three runners at Friday’s twilight meeting at Turffontein and two at HWB Greyville on Sunday.
Great Notion will be having her third career start in Race 1 over 1400m. Mike said that she is improving steadily. “She ran below expectations over 1400m first time out and then put in a better performance over 1100m. I still believe she’s more of a 1400m filly and she’s in with a money chance here. The race looks pretty competitive, but she could make the first three.”
Champagne Cocktail has a wide draw to contend with in Race 6, the Listed Summer Pudding Handicap over 1600m. She returned from a spell of rest on the farm recently and showed good pace in a 1800m race before running out of steam, but she’s better off for the run and in good shape. Mike said: “Champagne Cocktail is doing really well, and as I noted recently, she enjoyed her break. She’s returned fresh and strong. Her work is exceptional. She prefers slightly further, but I wouldn’t leave her out of any bets.”
The well-bred grey,
Greenhouse, lines up in Race 8 over 1400m. There was a lot to like about the way she won her Maiden over 1450m at the Vaal and Mike said: “She ran on nicely and looks to have scope. The long straight will suit her here, but the form of horses that ran behind her doesn’t look all that strong. There are a few other recent Maiden winners against her, so this race will show us where we stand. I’d include Greenhouse in Quartets, she should run well.”
Mike has two good form runners in Race 3 over 1600m at HWB Greyville.
Mvelelo and
Tyrconnell go to post in a small field and he commented: “This is a race we can win. Tyrconnell has come close the last twice, he was unlucky not to have won last time and this field looks slightly weaker. He is doing really well at Summerveld and has been pulling up sound. There isn’t all that much between him and Mvelelo, there is a line of form going back to January this year which shows that Mvelelo was on his heels, so a Swinger may be a good bet.”
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Dean Kannemeyer’s champion sprinter Gimme A Prince runs over 1600m for the first time in the Grade 3 Cape Mile at HWB Kenilworth on Saturday. He bumps a field of good milers and it will be interesting to see if he can beat them. Gimme A Prince is the class act of the race and his two starts over 1400m suggested that he’ll see out the extra. He came from near last and posted a good 400-to-finish time in a race won by Questioning recently. He needed that outing after a year off the track and would have improved by several lengths, since.
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