MIKE de Kock has often had 25 or more runners on Vodacom Durban July Day and with only 10 to saddle this year, and no runner in the big race, he was in good spirits before the meeting and looking foward to a more relaxed day.

“There is less pressure today, more time to enjoy the vibe on course,” he said just before The Centenary and Alghadeer finished second and third respectively in the Delta Air Lines 2200, and before his runners filled the first four places in the Gr3 SABC Gold Vase over 3000m for a R34,400 Quartet payout!

Later on, two-year-old colt Misty Birnam ran a cracker in second behind Zodiac Ruler in  the Gr2 Golden Horseshoe, ensuring a really fine afternoon at the races.

Enaad, strong late run.

“I wish I’d taken a Quartet in the Vase,” said Mike, who doesn’t take as many flutters as he used to back in the day. But Enaad, Smart Mart, Kingston Mines and Kinaan ensured that roughly R485,000 of the R500,000 will be banked by the stable and its connections; not to be frowned upon!

He said about the four Quartet runners: “They were all in good form, we did expect Enaad to be the best of them, thanks to Mat who sent him down from Johannesburg, but to get all four in the frame was a pleasant surprise. Tactically the race went very well, they went at a good pace, we’ve had many slow clips in KZN this season. Kingston Mines is a natural front-runner, I didn’t expect Smart Mart to be that handy but well done to all.”

Khumalo commented: “I thought I had too much catching up to do, he was very switched off and relaxed, but the pace was on and that worked for us. I worked him art Randjes on Tuesday and Mathew de Kock was confident he would run well.”

Enaad is a four-year-old gelding by High Chaparral from a mare by Danehill, home-bred and raced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s Al Adiyaat (South Africa).