EVERY winner is special, even when you’ve saddled near 2,500 of them! Mike de Kock added another treble to his tally at Turffontein on Tuesday evening and he was especially pleased with Grey’s Anatomy (6-1), who swept through late to win a Maiden Plate over 1800m under Tshwaro Appie.

Mike commented: “This win was a family affair. I trained Grey’s Anatomy’s sire, Grey’s Inn, I own a share of him and I own his dam in partnership with his breeder Graeme Koster of Rosedene Stud. My wife Diane named him and pre-trained him, which makes the win rather special.”

Mike believes this nice-moving bay colt could have the ability “to go through with it”. He said: “Grey’s Inn is starting to make his mark as a stallion. He’s a son of Zabeel and he raced successfully here in South Africa and overseas. His progeny may take some time, but for those who have a bit of patience they will win races.”

Empenoso Henn (Anthony Delpech) wins with a length or two in hand.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s four-year-old gelding Empenoso Henn (Anthony Delpech, 7-10), just over three lengths adrift of The Apache in the Daily News earlier this year, came from off the pace to win a competitive Graduation Plate over 1600m from stablemate Atlantic Oak.

“We’ve nominated him for the November Handicap and the Summer Cup , he’s a talented horse but he’s had his problems and we haven’t got to the bottom of him yet,” Mike assessed.

Powerhouse stayer Il Sanpietro, who simply keeps improving, bagged the Listed Java Handicap over 2450m for the stable at generous odds of 8-1, his seventh win from 24 starts.  He’s earned near R850,000 for owner/breeder Paulo Ceasar of Fazenda Mondesir International in Brazil.

Mike was happy to have won the race and run third and fourth respectively with Gorongosa and Dunraven, but he was aggravated by the tactics employed by all the jockeys except pacemaker Nooresh Juglall ( Chico Azul) and Il Sanpietro’s rider Gavin Lerena.

Il Sanpietro wins the Java Handicap, one of Gavin Lerena’s easier Listed triumphs.

When Chico Azul raced away to make the Java pace, galloping seven or eight lengths clear, only Il Sanpietro made an attempt to stay on his heels. When Lerena shook his mount up at the 300m mark to swallow the leader, it was immediately clear that nothing from behind the pair was within challenging reach. Il Sanpietro cruised in by 5.25-lengths, never feeling any kind of pressure.

“They went at a reasonable pace, but I think this was simply a case of Gavin outriding his rival jockeys. The stewards should look into the riding instructions given to the other riders and the tactics they employed!”

Headline photo: Mathew and Mike de Kock on the winner’s rope, attached to Grey’s Anatomy (Tshwaro Appie up). (JC Photos).