Farm news

Andrew Bon on an ‘Iron Cross’

Sporting Post

12 April 2020

Remember the chestnut flyer, Hunting Tower?

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Juddmonte blue hen’s granddaughter, Etah James, wins the Sydney Cup.

‘Dansili and Raise The Flag are among four of Hasili’s sons to become Group 1 sires along with Cacique and Champs Elysees’

Another chapter in the ever-growing history of Juddmonte blue hen Hasili was written on Saturday when her stallion son Raise The Flag supplied a first Group 1 winner courtesy of Etah James in the Sydney Cup at Randwick.

Martin Stevens
Racing Post
11 April 2020

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A sensational victory in Saturday’s R1 million Gr1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic by unbeaten 2020 SA Triple Tiara princess-in-waiting, Summer Pudding.

Sporting Post

7 March 2020

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QUEEN Supreme missed three weeks of work in the run-up to the Gr1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth, but she won this top race for fillies and mares in effortless fashion.

Trainer Mike de Kock, no stranger to the Paddock Stakes, said: “Queen Supreme missed three weeks of work, but recently she started blossoming, she was working like a five-furlong horse and she’d improved on her run in the Summer Cup, where she’d finished an admirable fourth in top-level open company.”

Queen Supreme pulled away from her rivals over the last 250m was quite riveting to see. She found another gear and put the to bed long before she crossed the winning line, leaving a host of excellent contemporaries gasping for breath.

Queen Supreme won by 2.50-lengths, with just a quarter of a length separating the next four runners. Driving Miss Daisy finished second, a short-head in front of Silvano’s Pride, with further short-heads separating Miyabi Gold (fourth) and the favourite Front and Centre (fifth).

Callan Murray, who rode a beautiful race on Queen Supreme, commented: “She was still a bit weak in the Summer Cup, but she finished the race off like a smart filly. I didn’t ride her for a month after that, but when I got on her recently I was surprised at how she’d improved, I didn’t think she’d get beat today!”

He added: “We had a good run in transit and it was a genuine pace. I made the mistake of moving too early on her before so I sat longer today. I was impressed with the way she quickened up.”

Queen Supreme, by Exceed and Excel from Call Later (Gone West) is owned by the partnership of De Kock, Jessica Slack (for Mauritzfontein Stud), Larry Nestadt, JJ van der Linden and Noeline Malherbe.

Mike said: “It’s just fantastic to win a race with some of my nearest and dearest friend, people I like and care about.  We’ll put Queen Supreme in the Majorca Stakes, I’m not sure about the Met, we’ll be discussing that.”

Turf Talk

January 11, 2020

Queen Supreme is ruler of the Paddock

Mauritzfontein Ltd, Mrs. M F de Kock and partners’ Queen Supreme (IRE) powered past pacesetter Castellano (SAF) to win the Saturday’s Cartier Paddock Stakes (G1) by 2 ½ lengths at South Africa’s Kenilworth Racecourse, earning a trip to the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Trained by Mike de Kock, who saddled 2015 Kentucky Derby contender Mubtaahij, Queen Supreme is a chestnut daughter of Exceed and Excel (AUS) out of Call Later by Gone West. She made up seven lengths on Castellano between the third and second furlong markers to cruise home a winner, completing the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.08 over a course listed as good. Front and Centre (SAF), the 7-10 favorite, made a serious bid in the final furlong, but wound up fourth.

Connections of Queen Supreme confirmed to Josh Christian, Breeders’ Cup vice president of racing and nominations, that the filly would be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf thanks to the international Breeders’ Cup Challenge.

Queen Supreme improved her record to five wins in seven starts in her first race at Kenilworth after six races at Turffontein. She broke her maiden in her first try last June, and after a defeat in a conditions handicap, reeled off four consecutive wins, including the Group 3, 1 1/8-mile Yellowwood Handicap on Nov. 2. De Kock then entered her against males in the Group 1 1 ¼-mile Summer Cup (G1) on Nov. 30, where she gave an excellent account of herself, finishing fourth, beaten just 1 ¾ lengths for it all.

One race later, Kantor, Blank, Sarkis & Yutar’s 4-year-old gelding Vardy (SAF) made a sustained bid in the final 300 yards under jockey Craig Zackey to capture Saturday’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (G1) at a mile by 1 ¼ lengths over One World (SAF).

Vardy, a bay gelding by Kentucky-bred Var, out of Cupid (SAF) by Jet Master (SAF), is trained by Adam Marcus. The Queen’s Plate was Vardy’s sixth win in nine starts and his fourth victory at Kenilworth. He completed the mile in 1:37.00 over a course listed as good.

The win earned an automatic berth into the $2 million TVG Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

Now in its 13th season, the Breeders’ Cup Challenge is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held this year at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 6-7.

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders’ Cup will pay the pre-entry and entry fees for Vardy and Queen Supreme to start in the World Championships. Breeders’ Cup also will provide a US$40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete at Keeneland. If not Breeders’ Cup eligible, the Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards.

Michael F de Kock, Horse Racing Nation

January 11, 2020

Tarry’s Tidal Wave

Following his fluent Charity Mile victory last Saturday, Barahin is now at the top of the log for the R2-million Gr1 Summer Cup to be run over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday 30 November, alongside stable companion Soqrat.

Barahin is now quoted as the 2-1 favourite for the Summer Cup with Zillzaal next best at 7-1 with Cascapedia and Roy’s Had Enough at 8-1.

Four horses were supplemented into the race and they are Bize and Flying Winger from the Alec Laird yard, St John Gray’s Dawn Assault and, perhaps the most interesting of all, Yellowwood Handicap winner Queen Supreme from the Mike de Kock yard. Earlier, De Kock withdrew Hawwaam, Buffalo Bill Cody and Like A Panther while also pulled out were Doosra and Come The Day.

Barahin and Soqrat were handed top weight of 60kg and they will have to concede 5.5kg to the third highest weighted runner who is Infamous Fox at 54.5kg. Queen Supreme has been allotted 48.5kg and has come on to the log in 12th position with Dawn assault at No 13.

Another horse to make a move is former Cape Derby winner Atyaab, who comes on in position No 9 following Saturday’s win in the Listed Java Handicap.

Soqrat will be running in the Gr3 Victory Moon Handicap at the Vaal on Saturday after which De Kock will decided whether he will run in the Summer Cup.

Final Entries close at 11am on Monday 18 November. Declarations are due by 11am on Tuesday 19 November after which the final field will be announced. The draws will be made at a function on Wednesday 20 November 2019.

The latest log:

https://www.sportingpost.co.za/2019/11/gr1-summer-cup-log-latest/ Sporting Post

Saturday’s Gr3 Yellowwood Handicap over 1800m at Turffontein was a race that was always going to be at the mercy of Exceed and Excel’s daughter, Queen Supreme (IRE), and punters and race watchers were delighted to see one of the day’s “good things” arrive in thrilling fashion.

The details leading to the last 400m of horse races are often on the boring side. So let’s focus only on Queen Supreme moving up oh-so-smoothly at this point, taking command and putting her rivals to bed, in a deep sleep too. Her winning distance over the capable Ronnie’s Candy was 4.25-lengths.

“I knew what I had under me,” said jockey Callan Murray, himself a picture of confidence since his return from Singapore (though it seems he can do with a good meal!).  “Queen Supreme is very smart out of the gates and she puts herself in the race. She makes my job easier, and she’ll improve in leaps and bounds.”

Mike de Kock agreed, saying: “She was very impressive today, she is getting better and better.”

In good spirits after the stable’s fifth success of the day, Mike said: “There is nothing better than to win with mates, the partners in this filly are JJ “Van Tingeling” (Van der Linden), Larry (Nestadt), Jessica (Slack) and Jehan (Malherbe). We bought her in Ireland. This is what it’s all about!” Yes, like doing the Hokey Pokey. Easy.

Mike added: “Queen Supreme is headed for a Grade 1. She’s Paddock Stakes and Sun Met material, she’s that good. Our next stop will probably be the Paddock Stakes, though we’ll have to deal with travelling to Cape Town which is never easy.”

Mike de Kock Racing

Read more: https://mikedekockracing.com/2019/11/03/queen-supreme-just-put-them-to-bed/

There was a perception among some racing fans going into Saturday’s Gr2 Charity Mile at Turffontein that the 1600m would be Barahin’s absolute minimum trip and that he wouldn’t find it easy against a few proven milers, but he gave them a hiding all the same!

Sometimes obvious pointers are overlooked. The form book shows that Barahin had won twice over 1400m as a two-year-old, once defeating his star stable companion Soqrat in a Gr2 race at the tight Greyville track.

Barahin had also been fitted with a pair of blinkers and made his return to a galloping track, two other factors which made his odds of 6-1 look tempting to those who actually bothered to dig a little deeper than pre-race conjecture.

“The blinkers made a massive difference,” confirmed jockey Callan Murray after steering Barahin to a 3.50-length success over Chijmes, Flying Winger and Cascapedia. “We just tracked the speed and when we turned into the straight it felt like a five furlong race the way he quickened up.

“I just held on to him, he extended to the line impressively.”

Mike de Kock, for whom the Charity Mile was the middle leg of a sensational six-timer on the day, saw this as only the beginning of big things for Barahin, who is likely to go into the Summer Cup as favourite, with his first Gr1 win beckoning.

“Barahin has always been a nice horse, in fact he’s a proper horse. He was unlucky as a three-year-old to be bumping Hawwaam all the time. But today the rain helped him, he’s never been the greatest mover or strider. The sting out of the ground was fantastic for him.”

Mike said he has been “threatening to cut” Barahin, but for some reason has exercised a little restraint. “He’s a Mauritzfontein-bred with a really nice pedigree.” Mike thanked Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his ongoing support and said: “He has been an unbelievable patron for South African racing!” He also conveyed thanks to Bob Yearham of Peermont Emperors Palace for his unwavering support of racing.

Barahin, by Gimmethegreenlight from Mocha Special (Silvano) is now five from 10 with over R1,8-million in stakes earnings. Mike and the stable is hoping he won’t be lumbered too heavily by the handicapper after this win, but he’s a strong horse that can carry weight, he’s in form at the right time and all we can say is, “Roll On Summer Cup!”

Mike de Kock Racing

Read more at:

https://mikedekockracing.com/2019/11/03/barahin-hit-them-for-a-six/