MATHEW de Kock blitzed in and out of Durban on Saturday with three runners at the Greyville meeting and returned with two Listed Trophies.
Firdoas (AUS), opened the Rising Sun race day with an expected good win in the Devon Air Stakes over 1400m and Barahin was most impressive, scoring in the Gatecrasher Stakes over 1400m.
Firdoas had to reel in Mazari over the last 250m, but Randall Simons was always going to get there on Sheikh Hamdan’s filly and he said: “She was a bit restless at the pens but we got a nice position in the race. They eased on the bend and sprinted in the straight. She rolled off the rail, sprinted into a gap. She’s a very nice filly, actually.”
Mathew said of the Bernardini filly: “She’ll improve more, she’s a bit dumb still. Well done to Sheikh Hamdan, she’s home-bred.”
Barahin, a R2,6-million National Yearling Sales purchase, is improving fast. He followed his first win at the Vaal recently with a smashing win in the Gatecrasher, sweeping clear by over three lengths under Bernard Fayd’Herbe.
“The form of Barahin’s Maiden win wasn’t franked, but on his debut before that he finished just behind Van Halen in a race won by Louis The Seventh, so he definitely has the talent and more to come.”
Firdoas and Barahin will be travelling back to Johannesburg and Mat said: “Both will be entered for the juvenile features on July Day but we’re not going to bring them back if they draw badly.”
Barahin, who also races in the Hamdan silks, is a son of Gimmethegreenlight, bred by the Wilgerbosdrift/Mauritzfontein partnership.