Avontuur-sponsored jockey Anthony Delpech was seen at his brilliant best when getting Mike De Kock’s progressive Tiger Ridge gelding Noah For Goa up at the death to win the R500 000 Gr2 Dingaans and foil a Marwing- Janse Van Vuuren double bid with the free-striding New Predator producing a post-maiden cracker.
With two of our leading jockeys on two top-class 3yo’s going head to head over the final 400m, the Dingaans produced the clean entertaining finish of the day.
Noah From Goa (Anthony Delpech) and New Predator (outside with Weichong Marwing up) go head to head (Pic- JC Photos)
For the beaten New Predator connections, history came within a heartbeat of repeating itself after Unparalleled had won the race in the same silks last year. But they would not have whinged, having won the Gr3 Fillies Mile a half hour earlier, with the promising filly, Negroamara.
The field was reduced to eleven as SA swimming superstar Chad Le Clos experienced the harsh realities of owning racehorses, when his horse Unbelievable Chad bolted to the start and was withdrawn. The talented Toreador colt appears to be his own worst enemy, and won’t be winning anything at this level, the way he is going.
After New Predator had led the charge, Noah From Goa challenged him halfway up the straight and after a protracted duel, where nothing else got a word in edgeways, it was the De Kock who proved marginally – but only marginally – better and got his head down to win in a time of 97,32 secs.
Abashiri appeared to need the run after his 17 week break and proved no match for the top two, running 3,20 lengths behind.
Recent Ready To Run rich kid Lineker was a further 1,30 lengths behind. The jury is out on exactly how committed this fellow is and the unkindest cut may follow.
Jockey Anthong Delpech confirmed that he always felt that Noah From Goa was his best ride of the day.
“We scrapped from the 400m and every time I got to New Predator, he seemed to find more.I was pleased that my boy got his head down at the line and he showed plenty of class and courage. And these have got to be the best owners in the world,” he said.
Mike De Kock – pleased with good win
Winning trainer Mike de Kock was particularly complimentary about the runner-up:
“Noah From Goa came in fit and just inexperience beat the second horse. And what a great display of riding from the top two jockeys. Even in wheelchairs, Anthony (Delpech) and Weichong (Marwing) could ride most of the guys in the jockey room to sleep,” he laughed.
The Wilgerbosdrift Stud-bred Noah From Goa is a son of the ill-fated Tiger Ridge out of the five-time winning Fort Wood mare, Limerick.
He was a R325 000 National 2yo Sale purchase and has clocked up stakes of R490 625 (plus the BSA Value Added Bonus of R102 500) in scoring his fourth win from five starts.
He was only beaten when third at his second start, when run off his feet on the Vaal sand 1000m.
Both of the top two look like 3yo’s to stick with.
Where do the likes of Hard Day’s Night, Seventh Plain and Budapest fit into this picture?
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Gr2 Dingaans (SAf-Gr2)
Turffontein, South Africa, November 28, R500k, 1600m, turf, good, 1.37.32
1 – NOAH FROM GOA (SAF), 60.0, ch g 3, Tiger Ridge (USA) – Limerick (SAF) by Fort Wood (USA). Owner Wilgerbosdrift (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mrs M Slack) & Messrs M F de Kock, G M Grant, C S Haynes & G J Westwater & Mrs N P Malherbe & Dr J & Mrs A J McVeigh; Breeder Wilgerbosdrift; trainer MF de Kock; jockey A Delpech
2 – New Predator (AUS), 60.0, b c 3, New Approach (IRE) – Head Over Heels (AUS) by Fastnet Rock (AUS)
3 – Abashiri (SAF), 60.0, b g 3, Go Deputy (USA) – Donya (SAF) by Elliodor (FR)
Margins: 0.10, 3.10, 1.30
