MATHEW de Kock last September described Largesse as “a gentleman in his stable but a lion when he gets to the track”, just after he’d won his Maiden Plate over 1600m at the Vaal. He also promised improvement to come with maturity, something now four-year-old Largesse proved with a facile win over 2400m at Turffontein on Saturday.

Mathew de Kock leads in Largesse, Anton Marcus up.

Largesse settled at the back of the field in a MR70 handicap and had easily 15 lengths to find going down the back straight, but he moved up gradually to within striking range coming into the home bend and then quickened away from his rivals to win by 1.50-lengths from the well fancied Changing Moon.

“He liked the extra ground and Anton Marcus rode the perfect race in dropping him out and getting him to run on today,” said Mathew after the event. “He’s a nice horse, we’ll be looking for more progress and I’m sure he’ll win a few more races.”

Largesse is by Kahal from Lily in Pink, by West Man, and is owned by Markus and Ingrid Jooste.