Unbeaten Majmu in action on Saturday
The racing public will be thrilled that Mike De Kock has opted to take his chances with Equus champion 2yo filly Majmu in today’s Gr2 Joburg Spring F&M Challenge. The unbeaten daughter of Redoute’s Choice achieved the highest ever rating of 114 for a two-year-old filly in South Africa last term and should relish the extra ground at her first start beyond 1160m.
De Kock has an enviable record in this race – maybe stranglehold is a better way of describing the the top trainer’s domination over the past few years.
He won it in 2010 with Igugu, in 2011 with Welwitschia, in 2012 with Festival Of Fire and last year with Ilha Bela.
And he holds a very strong grip again with two beautifully bred Aussie 3o’s.
Talking Filly
Sheikh Hamdan’s grey Australian-bred flyer had the tongues wagging at her three outstanding runaway victories last season and then kept the pundits’ debating at the Equus Awards in August when she was crowned champion 2yo filly of South Africa.
We don’t intend entering into that academic debate here, save to say that we hope that the Equus panel will apply their minds collectively in committee in the future rather than with cold emailed votes. That system surely makes a mockery of the collective intellectual value of diverse minds?
Majmu has come into draw 7 as Mike de Kock puts her unbeaten record on the line in her first start since winning the Fillies Nursery in April.
Rain?
Mike and Diane De Kock receive Majmu’s Equus Award
Mike commented recently: “We have every intention of running Majmu in the Spring Challenge, but the state of the going will determine if we will. If it stays like it is now, we’ll hold her back, but we’re expecting decent rain in the next two weeks, let’s hope it happens.”
He added: “Majmu got sick before the Allan Robertson last season, the virus hit her for a six, but she’s been back in work for a few months and she’s doing extremely well. We’re taking a view of the season as a whole, her immediate mission is the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas. We’d like to give her a prep run or two before that and hopefully the track will be in good enough condition to step her out on 4 October.”
No doubt to cover his options, De Kock also saddles the 3yo Sebring filly Maayaat in the same silks.
An impressive winner of her last two starts, she is yet to be exposed at feature level but has the advantage of experience in that she won her last start over a mile at the track.
Good Sort
Athina wins the Gr1 SA Fillies Classic – will she be ready for Saturday?
Piere Strydom and Joey Soma team up with the outstanding Fort Wood filly Athina, who was a narrow loser of this race last year when down in the last stride by another Wilgerbosdrift owned mare in Ilha Bela.
Athina has really smart interim form and comes in here off a fast finishing second to In The Fast Lane in the Woolavington 2000. If not badly in need of the run after an 18 week break, she must surely be in the money.
Big Earner
The lightly raced 2013 Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup winner Winter Star has her second run following a rest after a Vaal sand third to the talented Societi.
A victory for her would be an obvious PR filip for the BSA Ready To Run team, although she has drawn widely at 12.
Geoff Woodruff’s Rock Of Gibraltar filly Arcetri Pink tends towards inconsistency and is likely to need the run after three months off and a tough Champions Season campaign.
