A great start to Mike and Mat’s partnership

There were many good things to take from Saturday’s Grade 2 R750,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Guineas at Turffontein, including:

-Mike and Mathew de Kock started their training partnership with a wonderful Graded Stakes winner, Spumante Dolce.
-Spumante Dolce beat a proven champion filly and another high-quality Grade 1 winner on equal terms.
-Spumante Dolce’s breeder and part-owner, Mary Slack, sponsored the race.
-Part-owner Brad Ralph, a spirited supporter of racing, has his first real good filly on his hands.
-The winner is considered to have much more improvement to come.
-The winner is considered to be a Triple Tiara candidate.
-The winner’s dam, Espumanti, delivered her second graded stakes filly.

Spumante Dolce, tenacious in front. (JC Photos).

Spumante Dolce raced handy, hit the front early and then, in the fashion of something special, held off the determined late runs of VJ’s Angel and Quod Pro Quo, both seasoned Grade 1 winners.

Jockey Raymond Danielson reported: “Spumante Dolce was one off the pace with no cover, so she hit the front too soon. She had to work hard, but she found another gear. She has a lot of strengthening up to do. She’s still a puppy, there is lots more to come from her.”

Mike noted in his pre-race runner comments that Spumante Dolce’s low rating was due to the fact that she’s only raced twice, and that he felt her true rating was ‘well into the 100s’. He said after the Guineas: “We tried her at home, we thought she could be up to 110 or 112. She reminds me of Vercingetorix and Igugu, not necessarily as good or better, but they were also thrown into the deep end early in their careers.

“We had to take our chances. Spumante Dolce was very well and I am so pleased that my training partnership with Mat has started so well. It’s also great for Mary and Wilgerbosdrift, being the sponsors of the race, and for Brad Ralph to be on board as an owner. You won’t meet another person who is as enthusiastic about racing. Spumante Dolce, I believe, will race up to 2400m, which makes her different to Gimme A Nother and makes the Triple Tiara a proposition.

“Jehan Malherbe and I found Spumante Dolce’s dam, Espumanti, as part of our purchases abroad. She won us two Grade 2 races and has now produced a Durban July and a Guineas winner. What a wonderful mare she’s been!”

Mary commented: “This filly is a beauty. She is from my favourite family (Espumanti). It’s incredible!”

Colin Gordon, COO of 4Racing (left) and interviewer Lyall Cooper (right), with Mary Slack and Brad Ralph.

Mathew de Kock said from Cranbourne, Australia: “Well done to Mary and Brad. This was quite a surreal moment for me, I worked with both Spumante Dolce’s sire and her dam. As I send this message, I am sitting in bed at 1:30am. Monique, Liam and Olivia are asleep with no idea how big this moment is for everyone.

“It’s a bit of a role reversal, as I said earlier this week, to be watching from afar with my dad at the races, there have been so many times when it was the other way round.

“I could not have wished for better people to have my first winner in the partnership with. I had such a lovely few days last week and I wish I could’ve been there to share this with you today. Enjoy the celebrations!”