LOVE To Sail and Noor kept the yard’s strong winning momentum going on the turf track at the Vaal on Tuesday, Anthony Delpech holding their reins. Mike de Kock was also happy with promising places recorded by another pair of runners.

Love To Sail, possibly Listed quality.

Love To Sail won a MR87 handicap over 1400m for her owner-breeder, Dr Ashley Parker (Ascot Stud) and partner Mark Wright. Lightly raced, she’s moving up the ranks sweetly and Mike said: “Love To Sail hasn’t done a lot of racing because she’s taken time to mature and reach her best, but now that she’s coming along we might find a Listed feature for her, she looks of good enough quality.”

Love To Sail is a four-year-old filly by Sail From Seattle from a mare by Sadler’s Wells and Mike believes she will see out a mile, which may present more options going forward.

Three-year-old filly Noor has made her career debut relatively late, but it was a winning one all the same and she was in cruise control most of the way. She took her Maiden Plate over the tough straight mile by just under four lengths.

Mike commented: “Noor’s immaturity kept her off the racetrack until now but she’s been making all the right moves at home. I never like to make predictions after a Maiden win, we’ll test her against stronger, but we like what we see so far.”

Noor has frightening speed in her damline!

Noor is by champion stallion Dynasty from Express Queen, a mare by Jet Master bought by Mary Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift Stud from the Danika Stud Dispersal. Express Queen herself hails from a damline prepotent  for some of the best speed in the studbook, so Noor bears watching! Her full-brother, Oracle, fetched R475,000 at BSA’s recent Val De Vie Sale.

Mike noted that three-year-old colts Suyoof (Sheikh Hamdan) and Neptune’s Jewel (Markus and Ingrid Jooste), beaten into second on respective debuts Tuesday, were two others for the notebook.

“Suyoof was narrowly beaten by Johan Janse Van Vuuren’s more experienced Brazuca, who himself was juct touched off in the Gr1 Golden Horseshoe last season. This is powerful form. Neptune’s Jewel shows very pleasing work and is also expected to develop into a good sort,” Mike assessed.