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Champion trainer Mike de Kock believes Saturday's G1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville is not a two-horse race between his leading entry Vercingetorix and and Derby winner Capetown Noir.
Photo by Liesl King
The unbeaten Vercingetorix touched off Dean Kannemeyer’s star by a head in the G2 KRA Guineas (1600m) at Greyville and the pair meet again on Saturday in the R1.5 million race but this time over 2000m.
Both are well drawn in this 16-horse field and will have their regular jockeys up – Karl Neisius on Capetown Noir and Anthony Delpech on Vercingetorix.
De Kock admits that he was a little surprised by Vercingetorix’s Guineas win even though he lined up after winning his first two starts.
“I thought he would be in the first three or four. It was impressive to come out and win because while he showed a lot, he was still a big baby.
"He seems to have matured mentally since the last run. This will be his big test.
“I think there are probably 10 horses who could win this race,’’ said De Kock, who will also start Rock Cocktail and Patriotic Rebel.
Kannemeyer says Capetown Noir is in “exceptional” form and better than before his second i the KRA Guineas.
However he warned that even if the three-year-old wins on Saturday he is not a definite starter in the Vodacom Durban July as he fears the handicapper.
Kannemeyer reckons the three-year-olds are being too highly merit rated this season.
The Australian-bred Rock Cocktail lines up off a second in last week's G2 Betting World 1900 after win over 1800m at Clairwood.
“I’ve always rated Rock Cocktail and for the first time his second place showed me what he is capable of.
“You’ve got to give him a chance, especially as he has drawn well at No 2.’’
"He is a big horse and is hard to keep fit. He might be just short of the best and could be a handicapper, but this run will expose him and give us a better idea of how good he is.”
Patriotic Rebel only recently joined the stable but De Kock describes him as a “really nice horse with lots of potential’’.
Formerly trained by Brett Crawford, he ran fourth behind Capetown Noir in the Investec Cape Derby and had his first run for the De Kock yard last Wednesday at Greyville in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m won by Variety Club.
“He is doing extremely well and I like what I see with this horse," he said.
“I thought he ran a very good race to finish just over seven lengths off Variety Club.
"He has come on nicely. I think he can run a big race.”
The trainer feels that Love Struck could be the horse to work around when studying the form for the race.
“He has run in feature races in all three centres and based on his form, one would have to say that the Cape Town horses are probably better than the rest," De Kock said.
Love Struck's trainer Paul Lafferty is currently in Australia for the Magic Millions Sale at the Gold Coast and has left his assistant trainer Michael Burns to put the finishing touches to his Daily News 2000 contender.
The gelding won the G1 SA Classic over 1800m at Turffontein at his last start on March 30, beating another Daily News contender Tellina by a short head.
Burns said, “He’s doing well, he’s well in himself and his work at home has been promising.
"This will tell us whether he stays the 2000m."
* SATURDAY's G1 Woolavington 2000 for three-year-old fillies has attracted Triple Tiara winner and ruling Durban July favourite Cherry On The Top.
She has scared off most of the opposition and is rated at least 4kg better than any of her rivals.
Mike De Kock saddles Al Kindi but he admits facing Cherry On The Top is a daunting task.
“Something’s got to run second. I hope it will be Al Kindi.’’
Al Kindi was a bit disappointing in Johannesburg features this season after winning a Novice Plate in good style over 1600m last October.
DAILY NEWS 2000 (Grade 1) R1.5 million 2000m
1 – 7 CAPETOWN NOIR (D Kannemeyer) K Neisius 58.0 – 110
2 – 3 VERCINGETORIX (M F De Kock) A Delpech 58.0 – 107
3 – 10 LOVE STRUCK (P V Lafferty) S Cormack 58.0 – 103
4 – 14 TELLINA (G V Woodruff) R Fradd 58.0 – 103
5 – 18 YORKER (G V Woodruff) A Marcus 58.0 – 102
6 – 4 CORREDOR (G B Puller) K Shea 58.0 – 100
7 – 8 GITIANO (A G Laird) N Juglall 58.0 – 98
8 – 1 WAR HORSE (C Spies) S Chambers 58.0 – 98
9 – 15 WYLIE HALL (W H Marwing) M Odendaal 58.0 – 98
10 – 5 AMERICAN STORM (R P Lerena) G Wrogemann 58.0 – 97
11 – 11 NO WORRIES (G H Van Zyl) B Lerena 58.0 – 97
12 – 17 PATRIOTIC REBEL (M F De Kock) S Veale 58.0 – 95
13 – 16 WILD ONE (J Freedman) B Fayd’Herbe 58.0 – 95
14 – 13 ABERCROMBIE (M W Bass) S Randolph 58.0 – 94
15 – 9 SILVANO’S JET (J Ramsden) G Hatt 58.0 – 94
16 – 2 ROCK COCKTAIL (M F De Kock) G Lerena 58.0 – 90
Reserves
17 – 6 THE KING AND I (S G Tarry) Reserve 1 58.0 – 88
18 – 12 TIME OF SONG (D Visser) Reserve 2 58.0 – 80
WOOLAVINGTON 2000 (Grade 1) R750,000 2000m
1 – 7 CHERRY ON THE TOP (O A Ferraris) N Juglall 58.0 – 112
2 – 2 BLUERIDGE MOUNTAIN (J Ramsden) A Marcus 58.0 – 104
3 – 3 DO YOU REMEMBER (G V Woodruff) B Fayd’Herbe 58.0 – 101
4 – 1 JET BELLE (R R Sage) G Wrogemann 58.0 – 100
5 – 8 JET SUPREME (S J Snaith) S Cormack 58.0 – 100
6 – 6 AL KINDI (M F De Kock) S Veale 58.0 – 95
7 – 5 PRICELESS JEWEL (A N Marcus) K Teetan 58.0 – 86
8 – 4 NONKI POO (P D Reeves) G Hatt 58.0 – 82