The A-Team. Delpech and De Kock are turning up the heat.
Mike De Kock is approaching the Highveld and Cape Seasons with some big guns. He showed a small part of his hand at the Turffontein night meeting on 18 October, that included a scintillating return to form of one of his erratic sons and a smart first win by a well-bought Australian bred colt by Chateau Istana. Anthony Delpech rode both winners for the champion trainer.
The ink had hardly dried on our recent observation that Delpech had endured a rather quiet patch of late, when the top jockey pulled three rabbits out of his hat at Turffontein to silence his detractors.
Chateau who? That seems to be the general question after Ian Van Schalkwyk and Greg Blank’s green as grass three year old had shed his maiden in the fourth race over 1400m. Golden Chateau is a looker and a half and is by Oaklands Stud’s Grand Lodge stallion Chateau Istana. This little known sire is a five time winner, his victories including stakes races at Royal Ascot and Doncaster, as well as high value races in Hong Kong. He raced in the East under the name of Chateau King Prawn and was retired early to stud after an injury in a build-up to a Gr1 sprint Down Under.
The stallion interestingly appears to have only won up to 1000m. But Golden Chateau’s Deputy Minister dam Accent On Gold(USA) produced the two-time winning Mont D’Or, who won two races over 2000m and 2500m for Dennis Drier in KZN. Ian Van Schalkwyk raced her in partnership with Des Scott and he has rather shrewdly returned to the well here – in spite of the Drier horse being no champion!
The manner of Golden Chateau’s win speaks of him wanting a little further.He was all at sea for eighty percent of the race as Piere Strydom took the fight to the opposition on the Wiid horse, Acapella. Delpech got Golden Chateau to run late but the colt moved away from a left-handed whip and looked for company, in so doing moving into Strydom’s face. There was no panic though and he skipped clear once straightened, to win like a horse with plenty to come.
He's Back! Kavanagh looks like he has regained his sparkle.
Delpech rode his second winner for Mike De Kock and his third of a productive evening at the office, when he produced the enigmatic Tiger Ridge colt, Kavanagh, at the right moment to beat Two Tone and D J Detsky in the 1400m Pinnacle Stakes. It wasn’t a strong race by any means , but the De Kock magic and patience looks like it could pay dividends. The colt, who won the R200 000 Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes and has three Group seconds to his credit, is astonishingly only a four-time winner. With his head now screwed on right, he should pay to follow.
Ormonde Ferraris and Anthony Delpech opened the evening when Anthony Peter’s huge Jet Master filly Mary’s Pride got the better of a flying Come With Me, to win the Maiden Plate over 1000m. Mexican Magic made the pace in the hands of Sherman Brown – the jockey who, for triviality’s sake, won the very last race run under lights at Newmarket on 28 September 1996! The 17 hands plus winner was backed – not with stable money we are told- deep into the red and had never seen the grass. For a first-timer under lights, and as big as she is and looking for 1400m, she looks highly promising indeed. Anthony Peter and Des Scott bred her out of the Jallad mare Jalberry, who also carried the instantly recognisable red and grey Peter silks. Pencil her name in!
Take Two. Weichong Marwing rode a smart double.
Weichong Marwing and veteran jockey Marthinus Mienie rode a double apiece,with Marwing’s two victories on Uptothemoon and S’il Vous Plait setting the night alight. The Tarry filly Jackodore was backed to win the Progress Plate over 1160m but ruined her chances at the start. Marwing rode a patient race to produce Uptothemoon to nab the favourite in the final strides. The daughter of Victory Moon is looking for 2000m, so her connections have every reason to be excited about this win.
Marwing beat his former boss Mike De Kock when winning the MR88 Handicap over 2000m on Ormonde Ferraris S’il Vous Plait. This was the best finish of the evening with JP Van Der Merwe appearing home and dry on Roy Magner’s Eastern Cobbler. Anthony Delpech was also hard at work all the way up the straight on the De Kock entire Atyeb, who flew late to get beaten two short heads. into third. It was an entertaining race and De Kock suggested that his son of Rock Of Gibraltar has a Group win in him. This was only his fourth run and it must be music to the ears of the connections of the winner – himself now having won three from four!
Mienie rode two of the three Paul Matchett winners on the night-the third being partnered by Randall Simons. The Kahal mare Mannequin downed a fair field of male speedsters under the high-riding Simons in the 1000m Pinnacle Stakes. This lot included the well supported Paul Peter flyer, Magico, who took forever to get going and ran a well-beaten second. Mannequin has now won eight from 29 starts, and is the proverbial ATM machine and a dream horse to own-with her stud career still ahead!
