Avontuur-sponsored newly crowned KZN champion jockey Anthony Delpech and multiple champion trainer Mike De Kock got their 2015/16 racing season off to a flying start when the prepped-to-the-minute Mogok gelding Wild One stayed on best of all to win the weather delayed running of the R1,25 million Gr1 Gold Cup at Greyville on Saturday.
With debate raging over the various implications of running an old season raceday on the first day of a spanking new term, the Wild One connections really didn’t care as they celebrated a glorious win that had looked very unlikely a year ago.
“It is so seldom that everything just goes so well. It is a great way to wrap up the season,” said an elated De Kock, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was actually in a brand new season and had taken a cracking break at the top of log.
“This horse suffered what could have been a career-ending injury a year ago and it is a tribute to the heart and patience of owner Sean Phillips that we are standing here today,” said the ever modest De Kock.
For Phillips, it was an ice-breaking first Gr1 winner as an owner and he had the rare distinction and thrill of watching his silks carried into third place by the Joey Soma longshot Savage Wind, who ran a gallant race from a wide draw under apprentice Callan Murray.
Winning rider Delpech described the victory ‘like winning the July’ as he buried the ghost of his six seconds in years gone by, in South Africa’s premier staying race.
“Mike De Kock is a genius. He had this horse spot on after a superb prep. I knew if we enjoyed a smooth race, things would go well as we had the best horse in the race. Today he was settled and switched off. He grabbed the bit at the 1200m and said ‘I’m here’,” he explained with a 3200m smile, that just said it all.
Anthony Delpech – first Gold Cup win
Savage Wind led the field of sixteen from Kingston Mines, with Wild One beautifully relaxed in sixth position about five lengths off the action.
Into the home run Savage Wind continued to gallop, but it was apparent that little was going better than Wild One, who came forward smoothly at the 300m.
Dean Kannemeyer’s third-stringer Balance Sheet moved up from some lengths back, looking like a potential upset candidate, but was carried out by a shifting Wild One and appeared to lose his momentum for a stride – before staying on for second place at his first try over ground.
Savage Wind stayed on into third, with Storm Warning coming from way back to shade Ash Cloud for fourth.
Mike De Kock – labelled a genius by his winning jockey
The fancied Solid Speed had excuses as he was found to be not striding out and finished downfield.
The winning margin was 1,25 lengths and the winner clocked 206,34 secs.
The Scott Bro’s bred Wild One has won 4 races with 10 places from his 19 starts for stakes of R1 790 375.
The lightly raced 6yo had run second in the same race last year and his two prep runs – seconds in the Cup Trial and the KZN Million Mile – had been the perfect tonic to set him up for his biggest career victory.
The winner is a son of Mogok out of the twice winning Sapieha mare, Endangered Species.
He cost R95 000 on the 2011 KZN Suncoast Yearling Sale, where his former trainer Jeff Freedman signed for him.
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Gr1 Gold Cup (SAf-Gr1)
Greyville, South Africa, August 1, R1.25 million, 3200m, turf, soft, 3.26.34
1 – WILD ONE (SAF), 55.0, b h 6, Mogok (USA) – Endangered Species (SAF) by Sapieha (IRE). Owner Mr S W Phillips; Breeder Scott Bros; trainer MF de Kock; jockey A Delpech
2 – Balance Sheet (SAF), 52.0, b g 4, Silvano (GER) – Vita-Louise (SAF) by Al Mufti (USA)
3 – Savage Wind (SAF), 52.0, b g 6, Eyeofthetiger (BRZ) – South Trade (SAF) by Fine Edge (GB)
Margins: 1.25, 0.15, 1.25
