De Kock’s Flamingo attack – Capricorn Ridge
From Greyville and Gr1 Gold Cup glory on Super Saturday to the back and beyond of the Northern Cape just a week later. One has to take a hat off to globetrotter Mike De Kock. He doesn’t miss a trick and saddles the joint topweighted Tiger Ridge gelding Capricorn Ridge in the R200 000 RA Flamingo Mile today – and looks likely to go close to winning it.
The non black-type RA mile heads a trio of feature races on Flamingo Park’s flagship raceday and with something of a licorice allsorts eleven lining up, the Mauritzfontein-bred gelding won’t find a better chance of winning R125 000 this term – that is assuming that he adapts to the unique conditions of the dustbowl.
Classy
Capricorn Ridge has won 4 of 13 starts and showed his wellbeing last time out when he swept forward late from a poor draw to win a Pinnacle Stakes at the Vaal.
Mike De Kock – raids Kimberley
He had the well performed speed star Trip Tease 3,20 lengths behind him and while there are extenuating factors – like the fact that Trip Tease didn’t stay the 1200m and Capricorn Ridge was receiving 6kgs – it was a good performance. And surely one that says he is classy enough to win here. He has won up to 1800m on turf, so stamina should be no issue.
While visiting horses have a fair record in the race (Uncle Tommy won it in 2013 and Caryl’s Law in 2012), Capricorn Ridge could have most to fear from two consistent local runners.
Hometown Hopes
Latino’s Jet has proven a revelation since cracking his maiden at his eighth start, winning 4 of his 7 outings.
The Tienie Prinsloo-trained son of Latino Magic has a galloping weight, a good draw and the services of newly crowned SA champion apprentice Craig Zackey to aid his cause. While he steps up in class, he is a hometown hero who could give Capricorn Ridge one to go on with.
Evercell, a former Mike De Kock runner, has won 2 of his 3 starts in Kimberley after five uninspiring runs in KZN and Gauteng.
The son of Kahal has shown a new found enthusiasm and is full of beans on this surface – having won both his starts over Saturday’s course and distance. While he could be stretched on paper, the advantage of local condition familiarity could be worth a few lengths – and he carries galloping 52kgs.
Champion
2014/15 Kimberley champion trainer Bill Human saddles a coupling, headed by Il Palio, another consistent local. He meets Evercell on 2,5kgs better terms after going down 1,20 lengths last time in a small field and must have a chance of running close up again.
The second of the Human runners is the former Tara Laing runner Trade Emblem, who has his first sand run after a 29 week break. He has produced some decent performances, but is surely going to need an outing or two.
Local hope – Stone Pine
Last year’s winning trainer Sarel Von Willingh Smit saddles the versatile Stone Pine for Paul Barrett. A winner of 2 of his last 3 starts over slightly further, he could trouble Capricorn Ridge and will be ridden by regular pilot Fransie Herholdt.
His stablemate, last year’s winner Taqdeer (another former De Kock runner) has shocking recent form and has not won again since beating King’s Joy in the 2014 RA Mile. He looks a longshot and will need to up his game.
First
Stefanie Miller saddles her first runner in the RA Mile in the form of Indian River, who transfers from PE. The son of Greys Inn has run once in this centre and has some decent PE poly form to muddle the calculations.
Pinot Noir has had one previous Flamingo Park run – a narrow runner up effort behind Velvet Verona in the big sprint on this day a year ago.
Kingofmountain has placed twice in this race – but needs to up his game
He is drawn against the paint but looks better over shorter.
Cliffie Miller’s Kingofmountain has been placed the last two year’s running of this race, but lacks the spark to suggest a winning run is likely. His stablemate Princess Chichibu is off form and should battle against the males.
Raider
If he adjusts and adapts to local conditions, Capricorn Ridge is the choice to win this – even though local hopes Latino’s Jet and Evercell won’t go down without a fight.
It should be a great day of racing.
Kimberley’s Big One
The Flamingo Park Festival is Kimberley’s biggest annual race meeting and boasts more prestige than ever this year due to the fact that one of the three features on the card, the R135 000 Non-Black Type World Sports Betting Sprint run over 1000m, will form the first leg of the R1 885 000 Supreme Challenge.
The Supreme Challenge will comprise of the World Sports Betting Sprint, as well as the Gr 3 R250 000 August Stakes over 1200m on the Vaal Sand and the Gr 2 R1 million SAP Supreme Cup to be run over 1450m – also on the Vaal sand.
Any horse that can win all three legs of this ‘sand triple crown’ will land a bonus of R500 000 sponsored by World Sports Betting.
With the Vaal sand due to close in October, there will be plenty of interest from owners and trainers to secure a piece of history, while earning generous stakes.
The other two features races at the Flamingo Park Festival are the R200 000 Non-Black Type RA Flamingo Mile and the Non-Black Type R100 000 Diamond Stayers over 2200m.
Kimberley’s biggest racing weekend will commence with the Racing Association’s Northern Cape Awards on Friday evening. The sport’s regional stakeholders who have excelled throughout the season will be honoured. Runners participating in the feature races at the Festival will be “auctioned off” with a percentage of the takings being contributed to a local charity.
