MIKE DE KOCK HAS A SWIG OF PIERRE JOURDAN

Trainer Mike de Kock
(Inage : Tab Online / Pierre Jourdan)

BETTING WORLD JUBILEE HANDICAP (Grade 3)
Turffontein, Turf, 1800m
12 June 2011

Karel Miedema
www.sportingpost.co.zaNever underestimate a champion trainer and always exercise caution with Gauteng feature form. The unstoppable Mike de Kock threw punters a curved ball at Turffontein on Sunday 12 June when he produced the Argentinian-bred daughter of Singspiel, Candy Singer, at a generous 18-1 to win the R200,000 Grade 3 Betting World Jubilee Handicap over 1800m. The multiple Group-placed mare picked up her biggest career win at the expense of the revitalised Summerhill-bred star Pierre Jourdan, who looks set for a tilt at the Vodacom Durban July come 2 July.

The Gauteng feature race form continues to befuddle and confuse and one of only two members of the fairer sex in this event caught the boys napping as she sliced through the middle under De Kock’s feature race jack-in-a-box jockey Randall Simons. The flashy Drakenstein Stud-owned mare had not won since January 2010 but she stepped out here under a handy galloping weight and gave her opponents a hiding. One would think that she is destined for stud in a month or two and this Grade 3 event will certainly do her smashing pedigree no harm in the Sales catalogue pages. She is quite a looker too.

Pierre Jourdan ran a champagne race on the comeback trail and he was giving the De Kock mare 9,5 kgs when going down narrowly. He also showed a finger to the second run after a rest brigade. The Gary Alexander inmate’s fighting spirit was evident as he barged his way through a tight gap late and he certainly won’t be out of place in the Vodacom Durban July field where he will get his chance to silence his detractors for once and for all. He is set to carry 57,5kg if Past Master stays in and with a bit of luck and further progress in his health and fitness, he looks like a big runner. He certainly reserves his best efforts for jockey Derreck David and the Alexander gang may yet be booking that lunch table in the Durban View Room for Saturday 2 July.

The Jubilee Handicap form though may once again prove a little suspect as the first bunch finished right on top of one another. There were also a few dented reputations. Happy Landing blotted his copybook after an impressive Champions Challenge payday at the end of April, but it would have been 200m too short for him - even though he won the Drum Star Handicap over the 1800m trip, the Ormonde Ferraris trained Magical ran on for third but was beaten without excuses. Galanthus jumped from the best of the draw but after showing toe, dropped out to nothing. The highly vaunted Geoff Woodruff Jet Master gelding, Soul Master, moved up threateningly but after winning three of his first five career outings, appears to have lost the plot and may be out of his depth at Group level.

BETTING WORLD JUBILEE HANDICAP (Gr3)
Final Result

#	LBH	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	CANDY SINGER (ARG)	52.5	91	10	R Simons	Mike de Kock
2	0.75	PIERRE JOURDAN	62.0	110	5	D David	Gary Alexander
3	0.90	MAGICAL	59.0	104	3	A Delpech	Ormond Ferraris
4	1.40	WITTENBERG	54.5	95	2	M Van Rensburg	Geoff Woodruff
5	1.75	MAHOGANY	55.0	96	11	* N Juglall	Weiho Marwing
6	2.00	SOUL MASTER	52.0	92	9	F Coetzee	Geoff Woodruff
7	2.50	QUEEN’S BAY	58.5	103	6	* JP van der Merwe	Mike Azzie
8	2.55	REGAL RANSOM	58.0	102	4	M Mienie	Sean Tarry
9	6.00	HAPPY LANDING	60.5	107	8	M Yeni	Joe Soma
10	6.75	ROYAL ARROW (AUS)	52.0	87	12	* J Greyling	Geoff Woodruff
11	7.00	GALANTHUS	59.5	105	1	S Brown	Tyrone Zackey
12	10.00	MPUMELELO	53.5	93	7	S Khumalo	Joe Soma
13	10.10	CARIBBEAN COAST	52.0	85	13	* A Mgudlwa	Erico Verdonese
14	12.75	CALL TO COMBAT	58.0	102	14	G Lerena	St John Gray
		Late Scratching
15	0.00	CRACKER JACK	56.0	98	5	A Marcus	Geoff Woodruff

Extract from Sporting Post

TOP 50 RACEHORSES IN SOUTH AFRICA

Pierre Jourdan
(Photo : OneAfrica/JC Photographics)

“NO WONDER THE LOG LOOKS LIKE IT DOES”

A glance at the National Breeders’ log tells its own story. The first five months of the current racing year has Summerhill already over the R8 million mark, just about enough to win the title in any prior year. Just this past week, Phumelela Gold issued a listing of the top 50 earners in the nation, and that pretty much explains the position. Of the top 50, no fewer than ten have Summerhill connections, through either the sire, the dam or both. Six of them are graduates of the Summerhill Ready To Run programme, including the mercurial 30-time hero, Hear The Drums. Ten out of fifty is as close as you get to 20% of the biggest winners of the season so far, and it’s all a reflection of great people, great land and the best upbringing of a racehorse known to mankind.

 TOP 50 RACEHORSES BY EARNINGS
1 AUGUST 2009 - 17 JANUARY 2010

Rank	Name	Runs	Wins	Win%	2nd	3rd	4th	Other	Stakes
1	ASLAN	3	1	33%	1	0	0	0	R1,217,000
2	MOTHER RUSSIA	4	3	75%	1	0	0	0	R990,750
3	MOKARO	3	2	67%	0	0	0	0	R875,000
4	PIERRE JOURDAN	4	3	75%	1	0	0	0	R874,425
5	NOORDHOEK FLYER (SNL)	4	2	50%	1	1	0	0	R727,250
6	POCKET POWER	2	2	100%	0	0	0	0	R680,000
7	FIELD FLOWER	7	3	43%	1	0	1	0	R552,000
8	MAGICAL	4	0	0%	2	1	0	0	R529,400
9	PHUNYUKA	7	2	29%	2	1	0	1	R499,900
10	CYBER CASE	7	4	57%	1	0	0	1	R455,120
11	CURVED BALL (AUS)	4	3	75%	0	0	1	0	R450,875
12	SEATTLE ICE (AUS)	7	2	29%	1	0	0	0	R437,550
13	KAPIL	3	1	33%	1	0	0	1	R395,000
14	FISANI	5	2	40%	1	0	2	0	R394,250
15	SPARKLING GEM	4	1	25%	3	0	0	0	R378,750
16	NOBLEWOOD	4	1	25%	1	2	0	0	R378,130
17	HAVASHA	6	3	50%	1	1	0	0	R363,800
18	ARABIAN MIST	5	2	40%	0	2	0	0	R360,400
19	GALILEO’S GALAXY	3	1	33%	2	0	0	0	R358,750
20	CAPTAIN SCOTT	4	1	25%	1	1	1	0	R325,000
21	RED RAKE	5	3	60%	1	1	0	0	R323,130
22	FORT VOGUE	5	2	40%	3	0	0	0	R320,380
23	SIDERA (AUS)	3	3	100%	0	0	0	0	R293,750
24	SURFIN ‘USA	5	2	40%	0	0	0	1	R278,125
25	FABIANI	3	1	33%	0	1	1	0	R277,500
26	RIVER JETEZ	4	2	50%	1	1	0	0	R272,510
27	HEAR THE DRUMS	5	5	100%	0	0	0	0	R268,750
28	MEET AT MALAMALA	5	1	20%	0	1	0	2	R261,100
29	CAPTAIN’S SECRET	4	2	50%	1	0	0	1	R247,330
30	THUNDER KEY	7	1	14%	2	0	1	0	R241,900
31	TICK TOCK	7	1	14%	4	0	1	0	R230,150
32	PAST MASTER	3	2	67%	0	1	0	0	R229,850
33	CALL OF ANGELS	5	4	80%	0	0	0	0	R221,875
34	QUEEN’S BAY	4	3	75%	0	0	0	1	R218,125
35	GALANTHUS	5	3	60%	1	1	0	0	R215,050
36	CAPTAIN’S GAL	4	2	50%	1	1	0	0	R213,125
37	THANKS JOHN	7	4	57%	1	1	0	0	R210,080
38	BILL OF RIGHTS	6	0	0%	2	1	0	0	R209,200
39	CASEY COOL	7	2	29%	3	1	1	0	R205,000
40	SANTA	4	1	25%	0	0	1	1	R203,125
41	APPLE PRINCESS	9	3	33%	1	1	1	2	R201,300
42	ORACY (NZ)	3	2	67%	0	0	0	1	R198,750
43	EIGHT STREET (AUS)	4	1	25%	0	0	0	1	R192,500
44	DANCE AT DAYLIGHT	3	2	67%	0	1	0	0	R192,380
45	STORM CROSSING	7	4	57%	0	0	0	1	R190,750
46	COOL SPENDER	7	2	29%	3	0	0	1	R189,375
47	POLAR MOON	5	3	60%	1	1	0	0	R186,500
48	MAHUBO	5	2	40%	2	0	1	0	R186,250
49	LA FOCE	7	3	43%	1	0	1	0	R186,005
50	SONIC BARRIER (AUS)	6	3	50%	0	2	0	1	R185,850

Phumelela Gold
Correct as at 17 January 2010

MAGICAL SANSUI SUMMER CUP SENTIMENTAL FAVOURITE

Sansui Summer Cup 2009
(Photos : Racingweb/Phumelela/JHB)

2009 SANSUI SUMMER CUP

In his column “Impeccably Dashing” on Racingweb.co.za, Alec Hogg previews Saturday’s Sansui Summer Cup and says his heart is with Ormond Ferraris’ orphan Magical, but logic points to Charles Laird’s Kiwi Superstar, Oracy.

Following is an extract from the article :

Apart from the wonderful name, his unusual story is sure to make Magical the sentimental favourite.

That this tough gelding is so feared by the opposition despite only having won three of his 10 starts, is a sign of the professionals’ respect for the 77 year-old master trainer who tells me he specifically missed the lucrative KZN Winter season - and even a tilt at the Vodacom Durban July - to aim his stable’s star for Saturday’s race. The actual preparation, though, started more than two years ago.

Ormond Ferraris says he identified Magical’s father, ill-fated Labeeb, as a potential Champion sire when he saw him at Summerhill Stud shortly after the imposing stallion arrived from America: “I liked Labeeb’s racing record, the way he was put together especially his good legs, and his pedigree. I sent my only mare, Nettle, to be covered by him - they produced Opera Cloak who has won three races. Not bad for a first foal.”

So when Ferraris spotted a son of Labeeb on a Durban sale where only 64 yearlings were catalogued, he decided to take a closer look. Magical’s breeder Rodney Clarkin, himself a renowned horseman, remembers Ferraris being taken by the big colt the moment he saw him: “This wasn’t surprising, Magical was outstanding from day one.”

Magical was knocked down to Ferraris for R130 000, a bargain in anyone’s language. Although it now looks as though he sold the horse too cheaply, Clarkin has no regrets: “I couldn’t have asked for him to be with a better trainer. Ormond has planned this campaign to a tee. Speak to some of the old timers and they’ll tell you Magical has been given a mighty fine programme going into the race, a preparation second to none.”

As a participant in the KZN Breeder’s Premiums programme, Clarkin has a vested interest in pulling for Ferraris’s horse. Unfortunately, that’s his only economic interest as Magical’s mother, the Foveros mare Bite Your Tongue, died shortly after producing her last foal, a filly by Muhtafal, which Clarkin sold for R120 000. The rationale behind pairing his mare with Labeeb? Clarkin admits: “It was just one of those lucky matings. I was looking for size as she was a smallish, squat mare and Labeeb was a big, imposing horse. Pedigree-wise it was an outcross; you have to go back five generations to find a common ancestor in Nasrullah.”

As Magical and other sons and daughters have shown, had he lived, Labeeb may well have proved Ferraris’s view that he was a Champion in the making. Summerhill’s stud master Greig Muir, who worked closely with Magical’s father during his two seasons at stud,  describes his premature death as “desperate……his stats are very good and his youngsters are really tough.”

Even the way Labeeb left the earth was dramatic.

Muir tells: “We’d walked Labeeb and the other stallions up to the top of the hill for a photo shoot and all was normal until shortly after we started coming home. Labeeb must have had an aneurism in the brain. For apparently no reason he started attacking his handler; I went to help and he picked me up and threw me over a fence - surgery was later needed to repair the damage. With me over the hedge he turned on his handler again and was about to give him the deathblow when Labeeb suddenly fell dead to the ground.

“Labeeb was a character, tough as nails …. a Bakkies Botha of the racing world….. he took on some of the best that America had to offer and beat them.  When one walks into the office at Shadwell America in Kentucky, there is a large glass cabinet with silverware mostly attributed to the performances of Labeeb (he won 8 of 19 starts including two Gr1 races on American turf). US racing pundit and international stallion authority Bill Oppenheim, rated Labeeb as one of the most influential and high potential sires to come into South Africa in the last decade and he wasn’t far wrong. From a limited stud career in South Africa during which time he produced only two crops (2004 - 2006 he died just prior to the breeding season in 2006) he became a Freshman Sire sensation. He lies today in “the Avenue” here at Summerhill amongst fellow past inmates like Rambo Dancer, Northern Guest and Coastal. Don’t worry, we still salute him when we go past and we still get goose pimples when we think what might have been.”

So with both his father and mother having passed on, Magical is what we humans would call an orphan. But he doesn’t now that. Neither is he aware that the most dangerous of Saturday’s opponents cost 20 times more than him when they were sold on auction as yearlings. His trainer and part owner Ferraris dismisses the suggestion that it’s a two horse race - he also has great respect for yet another Laird-inmate, Eight Street, a gelded son of the international super stallion Street Cry. But for those with a sense of history - and the bookmakers - this looks too much like a replay of the 1930’s duels between War Admiral and Seabiscuit to consider other contenders too seriously.

In his gifted pilot Piere “Striker” Strydom, the Ferraris-trained gelding has one of the best riders in the world on board. He will carry 54kg against their 58kg so in effect has been given a five length start by both Oracy and Eight Street. Against this, Magical jumps from a wide gate (14), a particular concern for both Ferraris and Strydom.

The master trainer rates the poor draw as “my biggest worry”. Strydom frets that his mount is a slow starter who lacks “gate speed” so the poor draw might be force them to sit a lot further back in the early running than the pilot would like. Strydom says even without this disadvantage Oracy “will be a tough nut to crack - we’re a bit better off at the weights with Oracy than the last time we met, but he won so easily that you can’t be sure how much he still had in the tank.”

Strydom, an astute judge, believes his horse’s chances will be affected by the pace of the race. The ideal, he says, would be one where the field “goes like the clappers” so that he can place Magical around six lengths behind the leader coming into the business end: “Then we must hope that Oracy doesn’t stay the distance and we fly past him near the finish.”

Visit www.racingweb.co.za to read Alec Hogg’s full article.

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THE SA DERBY : SA's richest event for three-year-olds

“THE JEWEL IN THE THREE YEAR OLD CROWN”

The South African Derby has a rich tradition of producing great horses, and they’re not just great for winning this race, but they have to have the stamina, the talent and the guts, (and plenty of it) to prevail here. Turffontein is renowned as one of the toughest tracks in the world, and especially for its murderous 800m strait, which has broken more hearts than you’d care to remember.

Don’t forget too, that when they’ve repulsed all foes of the conventional Derby distance, (2400m) at Turffontein they’ve still got to find another fifty, for some odd reason, and Saturday won’t necessarily be the first time the lead changes two or three times again in that space.

For the three-year-olds walloping themselves down the lung-busting stretch for R1.5 million on Saturday, anything can happen, since none of them have been tested at the distance, and it’s all up in the air. You’d have to say though, that on class, the obvious horses are Cherise Cherry and Sporting Boy, especially with the withdrawal (sold to Hong Kong) of Mount Hood. We’d not be dismissive though, of the claims of Labeeb’s son, Magical, winner of his last three in a row including the Derby Trial, or Fenerbahce for that matter, who at his best has shown himself entitled to be ranked with the better three-year-olds in the nation. He’s been below par in his last two though, and something’s been amiss, though it comes as a considerable reassurance to see Andrew Fortune claiming the ride. For the record, he was a R425,000 graduate of the Summerhill 2007 2007 Ready To Run draft.

The other Summerhill engage, Mr Softee, comes off a gallant second to Magical in the Derby Trial at his first attempt beyond 1600m, and it may just be that he’s been waiting for this moment to show his best. Curiously, top jockey Sean Cormack takes the ride.

Freshmen sires in the spotlight

The Equimark Premier KZN Yearling Sale was conducted at Clairwood racecourse yesterday. The small catalogue of just 64 horses saw four of the top five prices go to progeny of Summerhill sires.

Of note, the first progeny of freshmen sires Labeeb and Malhub faced the auctioneer and snared second and fourth highest price respectively. Not surprisingly, given his run of graded stakes success this season, the ever consistent Muhtafal took third and fifth highest price.

R130,000 was outlaid by Ormond Ferrasis for Lot 8 - MAGICAL (Bay colt by Labeeb x Bite Your Tongue). Consignor Clarkin Thoroughbred Services.

R125,000 was paid by Dennis Bosch for Lot 36 - ELECTRIFYING (Bay colt by Muhtafal x Le Ntombi). Consignor Connington Stud

R100,000 was paid by Marsh Shirtliff for Lot 19 - IMAGE INTENSIFIER (Bay filly by Malhub x First Spring). Consigned by Connington Stud.

R90,000 was paid by Ron Philips for Lot 52 - BOLD ALLIANCE (Chestnut colt by Muhtafal x Snapper Dapper). Consigned by Connington Stud.