Kingston Mines keeps going as the challenges come from all sides (Bay Media)
Two runners. Two winners. That was the Mike De Kock 100% Met day scorecard after the Archipenko gelding Kingston Mines led all the way to win the R400 000 Gr2 Urban Honey Stayers run over 2800m to bring the curtain down on a great day’s racing.
Regular De Kock jockey Anthony Delpech only returned from his six week injury enforced break on Friday. And Gavin Lerena proved the perfect stand-in. He rode both Derby winner Ertijaal and Kingston Mines with the same bold approach from the front – and with confidence and belief in the horse underneath him.
In fact the manner in which Lerena rode Kingston Mines, one might find that his lack of grasp and experience of the real length of the Kenilworth home straight probably played into his hands!
The 2800m round the course handicap jumps in front of the grandstand and is an energy sapping spectacle that has been won by some good staying sorts over the years.
The manner in which Kingston Mines was taken to lead and the courage shown in the home run as they came at him, suggested that he is a solid developing stayer with plenty of scope and may still be some way ahead of the handicapper yet.
Despite drifting out in the final 400m, Gavin Lerena kept pushing and urging and they held a flying Coltrane to 1,25 lengths in a time of 188,02 secs – with the Bass filly Shingwedzi running a cracker in third down the inside at her first try at serious distance.
Stan Elley’s Dynastic Power encountered a few traffic problems late in the race and ran a nicely improved fourth – showing he stays well. He should be watched in the staying events.
The handsome chestnut Kingston Mines has won 3 from 12 races with 6 places and R421 625 in stakes.
He was bred in the UK by Miss Kirsten Rausing & Mrs S Rogers at Lanwades Stud.
From Archipenko’s first crop, Kingston Mines was a yearling purchase from Staffordstown at Goffs in 2012.
The high-riding stallion Archipenko, who stands at Kirsten Rausing’s Lanwades Stud near Newmarket, UK, has now sired a Gr1 winner in the UK, a Gr2 winner in South Africa and his strike rate with his first crop of now three-year-olds is an impressive 6 winners and 2 placed horses from 10 runners.
Kingston Mines is out of the very well-related staying Nashwan mare Alexandrine, who won in the UK from 2000m to 2800m.
Archipenko was once described by De Kock as ‘the most intelligent I have trained. The only thing he can’t do is talk. He’s smart.’
Archipenko was a Gr1 winner and a leading international miler who won 5 Group races on 3 continents. He was Timeform rated 127 (2lbs above his sire, Kingmambo.)
_________
Gr2 J&B Stayers (SAf-Gr2)
Kenilworth, South Africa, January 31, R400k, 2800m, turf, good, 3.08.02
1 – KINGSTON MINES (GB), 56.0, ch g 4, Archipenko (USA) – Alexandrine (IRE) by Nashwan (USA). Owner RMA Parker,G Thomson,MF deKock,LM Nestadt,AH Parker,DanikaStud(Nom:RABartlett),Milkwood Stud(Nom:IG Robertson) & Wicklow P/ship(Nom: Mr R C B Price); Breeder bred in UK; trainer MF de Kock; jockey G Lerena
2 – Coltrane (ARG), 57.5, ch g 5, Giant’s Causeway (USA) – Nuance (IRE) by Rainbow Quest (ANY)
3 – Shingwedzi (SAF), 53.5, b f 4, Trippi (USA) – Buffalo Dance (GB) by Sadler’s Wells (USA)
Margins: 1.25, 0.05, 0.20
