MIKE DE KOCK PLANS NEWMARKET EXPANSION

Mike de Kock
(Photo : Tab Online)

“If the BHA agrees, the horses will race under the names
of their South African trainers.”

Michael Clower
Racing PostMike de Kock is planning to expand his Newmarket operation by persuading other South African trainers to send him horses to be trained at his Abington Place base.

He will charge his normal training fees but the South African trainers will be paid the statutory percentages on their horses’ earnings while De Kock will take a smaller percentage. Furthermore, if the BHA agrees, the horses will race under the names of their South African trainers.

The seven-time South African Champion Trainer revealed his plans in an interview with David Mickleburgh commissioned by the country’s TBA and published on their website (click here to read the article).

De Kock also revealed his frustration at the complicated, lengthy and expensive travel arrangements necessitated by the ban on direct importation of horses from South Africa. This was imposed as a result of outbreaks of African Horse Sickness and is not due to expire until next May. Therefore his Dubai horses have gone via Mauritius and they have to then spend a further 30 days in Europe before being allowed into Dubai.

He said: “It costs the racehorses a potential health-threatening 147 days (including 40 in Mauritius where they are locked in their stables from 4.00pm to 8.30am with only an early morning feed, and then a 50-day residency period) and costs the owners US$50,000 per horse to meet the export protocols.”

“There is no scientific or veterinary reason for these imposts beyond the reasonable 21 days quarantine in South Africa to ensure that the animal is clean. Compare this to the limited restrictions on Australian horses where the illnesses they get can be life-threatening to even humans.”

“These restrictions are like a trade embargo and could even be considered illegal. Our authorities could, perhaps, become a little more aggressive and contemplate legal action. After all we have never exported a single case of African Horse Sickness.”

“But somewhere in an unknown address funny little people, who patently know nothing and are driven by a form of paranoia, or more worryingly may have an axe to grind or have become accommodating for other reasons, invent restrictions on South African horses that are beyond comprehension. I can only hope that when the next round of protocols is announced someone sees reason.”

Extract from Racing Post

MIKE DE KOCK : The Legend Grows

Eagle Mountain with Kevin Shea aboard
(AP Photo)

The legend surrounding South African trainer Mike de Kock continues to grow and a brilliant gallop by Eagle Mountain to land yesterday’s HK$20 million Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Cup is just the latest chapter in a story that is far from over. Mike de Kock has won two editions of the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup with Irridescence and Archipenko and has now claimed his first December international with a horse rated by the man himself as better than any of his recent stars.

Eagle Mountain, ran out a comfortable winner of Hong Kong’s richest race under the guidance of Kevin Shea, scoring by 1-1/4 lengths from French raider Balius. Linngari, trained at Newmarket by Sir Michael Stoute and on his third sortie to Sha Tin, ran third and odds-on favourite Viva Pataca a luckless fourth.

Mike de Kock had been bullish about Eagle Mountain all week, “I thought coming into this race that he was as good as Archipenko and as good as Sun Classique, or better, so that gave us a very good pointer to where he was,” said Mike de Kock. “But the way he’s improving, he’s probably better than they are. I can say with hindsight that we were very confident, because the most important thing was that everything had gone well since we got here. The key thing with travelling horses is that when they get to their destination, they put their head in the manger, and that’s what this horse did.”

Mike de Kock agreed with the suggestion that after his Breeders’ Cup Turf second, and backing it up with yesterday’s huge win, Eagle Mountain is a horse that can and will compete on any stage. Eagle Mountain will now return to Dubai and be set for the “Super Thursday” meeting in early March. “After that, we’ll decide which way to go - to the 1800m race or the 2400,” he said.

The races under consideration are two of the richest turf races in the world (each worth US$5 million) - the Dubai Duty Free (1,777m) or the Dubai Sheema Classic (2,400m) on World Cup night.

(edited article by Murray Bell from ANZ Bloodstock News)

MICK KINANE : "MALESH NARREDU could be the Secret Weapon"

Mick Kinane
(Hong Kong Jockey Club)

Malesh Narredu, champion jockey of India, could very well be the International Team’s “secret weapon” in Saturday’s International Jockeys’ Challenge between South Africa and the “Rest of the World” at Turffontein.

David Mollet writes in the Business Day that this is the view of world-renowned rider Mick Kinane, who is the oldest and most experienced jockey in the international team. “I have ridden against Malesh and he’s a really talented guy - his record in his home country speaks for itself,” said Mick Kinane.

Interestingly, Malesh Narredu has won exactly the same number of jockey titles - 11 - as former South African champion Michael Muis Roberts, who will be the manager of the South African side on Saturday.

Malesh Narredu’s big race wins include 115 graded races, 41 Group One events and 53 classics. These include 11 derbies and India’s Triple Crown.

Nevertheless, even that record is dwarfed by that of 49-year-old Mick Kinane, who can boast more than 160 Gr1 victories all over the world including the Melbourne Cup on Dermot Weld’s stayer, Vintage Crop.

“That will always remain one of the great moments in my career as it was the first success by an international rider in Australia’s most important race,” said Mick Kinane.

The much admired Irishman said he was delighted to be back in South Africa after riding in the last International Challenge here 22 years ago.

Australia is represented in Saturday’s international team by Damien Oliver, who knows all about Cup day at Melbourne. He has won the marathon race twice and remains the only apprentice to have won the AJC Derby, Australia’s premier three-year-old race.

Malesh Narredu’s rides in the four international races are Chariots of Fire for Geoff Woodruff, Acheron for Sean Tarry, Twilights Rush for Ormond Ferraris and Single Minded for Stuart Pettigrew. While Chariots of Fire may battle against the likes of stable companion Kingdom Come and KZN raider Citizen Dante, Twilights Rush is a decent sort on his day and could have a say in the finish of the 1600m Lufthansa Handicap.

Mick Kinane’s four mounts in the international races are Keat’s Drift for Charles Laird, Sunny Jim for Geoff Woodruff, Flight Queen for Dennis Drier and Battle Hero for Paul Matchett.

Although Flight Queen has to concede weight all round in the Racing Association Handicap, she has an each-way chance but it seems likely she could find one too smart for her in Frankie Dettori’s mount, On The Bluff.

Frankie Dettori will be the big attraction at the city track as he is arguably the best known jockey in the sport. His affable attitude and big race successes have kept him in the media spotlight for the past two decades.”

MICHAEL "MUIS" ROBERTS HONOURED

Michael “Muis” Roberts - South Africa Team Manager
(TAB/Summerhill Stud)

A long overdue honour has been bestowed upon arguably South Africa’s greatest former jockey, Michael “Muis” Roberts.

In Johannesburg last week, Michael Roberts was named manager of the South African team that will line up against the cream of the world’s top jockeys for Saturday’s International Jockeys’ Challenge at Turffontein. He was awarded his South African national colours along with the nation’s best jockey talent.

Michael Roberts,  the 11 time Champion jockey of South Africa and 1992 Champion jockey of Britain, is now a racehorse trainer in the Karkloof Kwa-Zulu Natal where he trains 65 horses for owners, including Fieldspring Racing and Sydney Cassell.

Michael Roberts has himself competed in a number of international jockey “Tests” staged in South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s. He has also managed international jockey teams in Royal Ascot’s Shergar Cup competition.

Frankie Dettori of Italy, captain of the international team is an old friend of Michael Roberts.

“When I was riding in the UK he was an apprentice, and too young to drive, so I often gave him a lift to the races,” recalls Michael Roberts. “He used to chow sweets in the back of the car with my daughters and practise his English on them.”

A neck injury resulting from a fall in the UK in 2001 led Michael Roberts to retire from riding at the age of 48. “I was still enjoying racing; if I hadn’t been injured I’d probably still be riding.” he said.

Summerhill wishes Michael Roberts and Team South Africa every success this weekend.

Mike de Kock takes fourth Trainers Championship

Mike de Kock
(John Lewis)

Well it went right down to the wire in the tightest contest of the season as Charles Laird and Mike de Kock duelled gallantly for the South African Trainers Championship.

Race 7 at the Vaal today, the final day of the South African racing season, turned out to be the clincher with Mike de Kock emerging victorious, taking his fourth Championship title. Ironically, we saw it coming. Both these men had Summerhill runners in their armoury for the meeting, and it was Charles’s second consecutive winner of the day, HURRICANE FORCE (MUHTAFAL / BAHAMA PALMS) a graduate of last year’s Ready to Run, that snatched the lead from Mike de Kock, giving Charles a margin of some R4,000 or R5,000. It was short-lived however, as CAPE TANGO (KAHAL / CITIDANCER by NORTHERN GUEST) came back in the very next breath to put the De Kock team in front again. As they went to the wire Charles had to win to wrap it up and that would’ve been the end of it, while anything less than that would have meant that CAPE TANGO’s victory on its own was enough.

South Africa is blessed in the depth of talent among its horsemen and this was yet another signal to the world, of just how deep the rivers flow. Two consummate professionals at the top of their game, slugging it out to the last bell. The entire Summerhill and Vuma teams salute the protagonists of this great chapter in racing history.

To Mike de Kock, from one Champion team to another, we extend our warmest congratulations, and to our old mate Charles Laird, salutations pal. It takes a professional of your calibre and a team as good as yours, to make this the greatest trainers’ contest in recorded history.