Betway Ambassador Mike de Kock saddles his first runner, Easy Tiger, on behalf of the De Kock partnership in Race 1 over 1100m at Turffontein on Saturday. The daughter of Rafeef was well backed and drew clear on her 1000m debut last month and the trainer said: “She impressed us when she won. She shows ability at home and reproduced it on the track. There are two other promising early winners in the race and the others are unexposed, so with not much form to go on, it’s never easy to predict what will happen. But Easy Tiger looks a decent sort in the making, she could well win again.”
Mike also considers Marauding Horde (Race 5, 2400m) to have good prospects. He has finished unplaced in three previous starts over 2400m, but has won twice over the tough 2000m at Turffontein, running strongly. “We’ve tried him over different distances, he ran on well again over 1800m the other day and I still think he is a horse that can win over ground. He was gelded late last year and he is a few months older now, so with his handy weight of 52kg must be a runner here.”
Sea Anemone returns to racing after a rest in Race 7 over 1400m and she, too, is handily weighted at 52kg. “She is better than her current rating and she has proven fairly effective at this distance, but she will improve with the run. I’d include her in the Quartet, she can earn a stake.”
Trois Trois Quatre is the partnership’s first runner at Scottsville on Sunday. He has to take on the formidable Royal Victory in Race 2, the Thomboti Stakes over 1950m. Mike said: “Trois Trois Quatre has had his racing programme interrupted by rain a few times. We’ve done what we can to get him to a reasonable level of fitness, but he needs to race to improve. It looks like we’re all be running for second in a small field, so he has a chance of finishing in the money, but he will come on for the run.”
Tyrconnell will be looking for a hat-trick of wins on the same course and distance in Race 5 over 1400m. Mike assessed: “There is collateral form in the race between Tyrconnell and several others and he is as bit out at the swing in weights. But he has been a better horse in Durban. He is racing with confidence and remains in the same good form of his two recent wins. You have to include him.”
Fireburst has always looked like a filly who will win more than a single race and she has a chance in Race 6 over 1600m. Mike said: “She should run a good race in this field, it looks on the weak side and her rating has dropped to a mark at which she should be competitive.”
Another who has more wins in her is Sparkling Jubilee (Race 7, 1600m), and she warrants consideration after a rest. “She has her niggles, as reported before. She will improve with this run having not raced since last August, but I think she is a bit better than her rating of 72. She is doing pretty well and can’t be ignored.”
Mike said that both Festival Of Magic and Grape Shot (Race 9, 1200m) are struggling for form. “Festival Of Magic has had breathing issues. I hope she is over them now. Grape Shot is not at her best, we’re trying blinkers and maybe that will give her some spark. I can’t give much confidence here, hard to say how they will go.”
