THE stable’s spectacular double at Meydan on Saturday grabbed the headlines, but Mike de Kock’s teams in Johannesburg and Summerveld saddled a further five winners between them at the weekend, including three back-to-back feature triumphs at Turffontein – seven winners, around the world, in 24 hours!
Majmu made a riveting feature-race debut.
Moofeed, Majmu and Banaadeer made it a clean sweep for Australian-breds in the three juvenile features at Turffontein on Saturday.
Moofeed (S’Manga Khumalo) started the impressive assault with a one-length success in the R150,000 Gold Rush Sprint over 1100m, beating the well-performed Trip Tease into second, with several other top-notch young sprinters behind them.
Moofeed, owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, was bred in Australia by Epsom Lodge and Coolmore. He is by Danehill’s five time Gr1 winning son Duke Of Marmalade, who stands at Coolmore. He is out of the Encosta De Lago mare Dizzy De Lago, which makes him a half brother to his very well performed stablemates, Musir (by Redoute’s Choice) and Merhee (by Elusive Quality).
Moofeed ran on powerfully in the Gold Rush Sprint.
Majmu (Anthony Delpech) made a riveting debut in the Listed R150,000 Ruffian Stakes over 1000m. The impressive grey showed maturity and ability under Anthony Delpech as she gradually made her way through her field to win going away – this after a slow start which cost her the best part of three lengths.
Majmu was bred by Arrowfield Pastoral (Pty Ltd). She a daughter of the outstanding Redoute’s Choice and races in the blue and white silks of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum, who paid AUS$300 000 at the 2013 Ingles Easter Sale in Sydney.
Banaadeer, from the same sale, was all the talk after his runaway win at Turffontein last week – he followed up with another excellent win in the Listed Storm Bird Stakes (R150,000) over 1000m, giving Delpech a double. Banadeer took his stakes earnings to R146 875, beating the Corne Spies-trained Kiss Me Hardy, regarded by his trainer as one from the top drawer.
Banaadeer, bright future!
Mike commented from Dubai: “We are delighted for Sheikh Hamdan and what a wonderful privilege it is to train thoroughbreds like these. Majmu and Banadeer were in a group of 11 yearlings bought by Shadwell and Form Bloodstock on our shopping spree in Australia last year and the others look similarly promising.”
He added: “Sheikh Hamdan has had five individual debut juvenile winners this year, they’ve won six races so far and we’re looking forward to their development during the remainder of the South African season.”
The Hamdan-owned Mastermind made his winning debut for Delpech at Scottsville on Sunday in a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m. He is by VAR from Model IQ, who is a half-sister to Gr2 winners Royal IQ, Mentor and My Kazzie, and was bred at Avontuur Stud.
S’Manga Khumalo on Pine Princess.
Half an hour later, in a 1200m race for fillies, Khumalo posted his second weekend winner for the yard on another debutante Pine Princess, a daughter of Captain Al. She was raised at Highlands Farm and is owned in partnership by Dr Andreas and Mrs Natalie Jacobs, Coolmore’s John Magnier and Mrs Paul Shanahan.
Mike praised his assistants at Randjesfontein and Summerveld for their good work in his absence. With Mathew De Kock attending Super Saturday, the three winners at Turffontein were saddled by Tammy Dawson and poster-boy farrier Peter Dunias, while Nathan Kotzen and John Buckler took care of the runners at Scottsville.
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Photos by JC Photographics (Turffontein) and Gold Circle (Scottsville).
-Extracts were taken from race reviews published on the Sporting Post website (www.sportingpost.co.za)