Speed, it’s a good thing!

Greaterix is so fast that Mike de Kock doesn’t want to work him with other horses at home, but speed is the number one attribute of a good horse. That he has so much of it, helped Greaterix to break away from the pack in Saturday’s Grade 3 Got The Greenlight Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein. He held on from a strong-finishing Fire Attack to win by the best part of a length.

“Greaterix came back distressed after the Dingaans, he went too fast up front that day. We gave him two weeks off after that and he just needed it today. He may just be a very fast horse and not a typically classic horse, but we have to try the Guineas (next month) because he will be fitter and he has lots of ability,” said Mike.

Jockey Muzi Yeni said that Greaterix was his top three-year-old, and that he was still learning to race. “He’s a young horse, they clipped his heels and he was never comfortable. I had to let him roll a bit early, his win was full of merit and I’m looking forward to him going a mille.”

Greaterix, by Vercingetorix out of Semra, races for Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum’s Al Adiyat, in partnership with Mike, George Ragunan, Chris Haynes and Noeline Malherbe.

Easy Tiger in a place she will come to again: the winner’s box!

Yeni also rode newcomer Easy Tiger to a win in Race 1 over 1000m – a filly that beat the colts with a powerful and impressive finish.

Mike predicted beforehand that Easy Tiger (Rafeef) was a naughty filly and that she’d be green. That showed when she was at the back of the field after the start and initially seemed a bit awkward in running. Halfway through the race, Easy Tiger was going to run closer to last than first, but she took off, sliced through the field and ran them dizzy, winning by 2.25-lengths.

Yeni said: “She’s a small filly but with a beautiful action. She was relaxing at the back, but we were on the speed and she got closer and closer. She put the race to bed confidently, I think she will go over 1400m to 1600m.”

Team De Kock saddled this winner for Craig Kieswetter of Ridgemont and Devin Heffer of Hollywoodbets. Mike said: “Mathew and I were privileged to visit the pre-training facility at Ridgemont earlier this week, it is a wonderful facility. The horses that came from them were forward and ready. Well done to Julia Kieswetter who runs it. They have got plans which we are pleased to be a part of for the future.”

He said about Easy Tiger: “She’s a nice type of filly. I wanted to see her finishing it off and she did it well. I hope her win is a start of things to come. Mathew and I have some nice horses coming through in our new partnership, which has begun but starts officially on 1 March.”