Malmoos to take a break

Malmoos will be withdrawn from the 2021 Durban July nominations on Monday, said Mike de Kock following the Triple Crown winner’s lacklustre run in Saturday’s G1 4Racing Champion’s Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein.

Malmoos, without his usual zip, weakened over the last 250m to cross the line 6.5-lengths behind Got The Greenlight and Mike assessed: “Malmoos’ prep for the race was perfect, but in the race itself he was a little leg weary.

“He’s travelled to the Cape and back this season and then we had the Triple Crown, so perhaps this was just one run too many and he showed us that he needs a break. On a line of form through the second horse, Second Base, Malmoos ran about eight lengths below his best.

“All that said, well done to Joe Soma and his connections for their big win, a good bunch of enthusiastic racing people and they deserve their success. Also well done to the other feature winners on the day.”

Mike said that Malmoos will be taken out of the ‘July’. “We’ll give him the rest he deserves and bring him back for the Gauteng summer season.”

The stable’s Aragosta, an 8th individual winner from just 17 runners for freshman stallion Rafeef, is also likely to be ‘put away’ for a few months following his first win. Mike said: “We are delighted with Rafeef’s good start and I’m not surprised. He’s by a world champion sire from the most wonderful of mares and he was a top-class horse himself. It looks like Rafeef will be a versatile stallion too.”