Mike de Kock and Sheik Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, pictured together with jockey Kevin Shea, enjoyed prolific success together in SA and Dubai at one time and team up with a Kingman first-timer colt at Turffontein Standside on Saturday (picture: healyracing.ie)
Mike de Kock and Sheik Mohmmed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum enjoyed a highly successful partnership at one stage, with a win in the July and some big races in Dubai being the highlights, and they team up with Kingman debutant Jaham on Saturday at Turffontein Inside.
This Al Adiyaat homebred colt will become the fifth progeny of Kingman to run in South Africa.
The trend so far is slightly against him, although the positive is that the best one of Kingman’s runners out here to date was trained by De Kock.
Kingman is one of the best sires in the world and only his stablemate at Juddmonte, Frankel, reached 50 stakes winners quicker than him in world history.
He commands a fee of £125,000 and is too valuable too shuttle, but Juddmonte do arrange southern hemisphere coverings at reduced costs.
Some South African breeders have taken advantage of the latter arrangement.
Kingman’s record in SA to date does not make outstanding reading, but from four runners he has produced the fair sort Good Queen Bess, whom Mike De Kock has trained to win four races and finish third in a Gr 3.
However, Good Queen Bess was bred to normal northern hemisphere time and is out of an Irish-bred mare. She was purchased by Form Bloodstock on behalf of Wilgerbosdrift Stud for €340,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale of 2019.
KIngman’s other three runners here have been bred to southern hemisphere time and are from the mares of South African breeders.
Two of them are out of the Mauritzfontein-homebred Met winner Smart Call (Ideal World).
The first of these was a filly called Call To Glory and after seven runs in the Maidens on the Highveld for three seconds, a third and a fourth she was sent to Alan Greef’s yard. She has won both of her starts in the East Cape with ease and interestingly both of them have been on the poly.
The second of Smart Call’s Kingman foals was a colt called Royal Summons and after being backed in to 11/2 he finished six lengths back in what has proven to be a strong Juvenile Plate over 1160m in April last year won by the decent Pure Predator with Barbaresco second. However, he has not been seen since although he was gelded in June according to the NRB website so might still be in training.
The other Kingman progeny to race here is a Khaya Stables homebred out of Irish-bred Let It Rip (Rip van Winkle), who won one race in SA on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly.
This three-year-old gelding had two starts at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in January and March this year respectively, both over 1200m and was beaten 9,70 and 7,90 lengths respectively.
Jaham has also been bred to Southern Hemisphere time and is out of the useful Australian-bred Teofilo mare Tamaanee.
The latter was trained by Sean Tarry and won the Gr 2 Gerald Rosenberg over 2000m.
Jaham runs in a Maiden Plate over 1450m on Satutrday and has Muzi Yeni aboard.
Kingman had eight starts for seven wins, including four Gr 1s, all over a mile. He was the Cartier (Europe) champion three-year-old male and was Cartier Horse Of The Year. He is by Invincible Spirit so Mauritzfontein Stud will be especially keen for Jaham to do well because their newest resident sire Digital Age is by Invincible Spirit.
Jaham will be followed with interest by racing purists.
