Immediate Edge (yellow colours) gets up by a head in a thriller. (JC Photos).
The Hollywoodbets Durban July is looming large already with ante-post betting out and the Mike and Matthew de Kock yard will be a player this season.
Mike de Kock has won the race five times and two of his winners have carried the familiar yellow with a royal blue chevron colours of Sheik Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, which are these days registered as Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
On Saturday at Turffontein Standside the Shadwell Stud-bred Vercingetorix colt Immediate Edge remained unbeaten in three starts when carrying Sheik Khalifa’s colours to victory in the Listed WSB Hawwaam Stakes over 2000m and De Kock said in the winner’s enclosure, “He is the sort of horse you have to aim at the July and make sure you come in with the right weight.”
De Kock’s last winner in the July was Sparkling Water, who gave Mary Slack her first win of the big race as an owner as the Silvano filly was a Wilgerbosdrift Stud homebred.
Fittingly, Wilgerbosdrift also own a share in Immediate Edge.
Mike de Kock himself owns a share and so does a long time supporter of his yard, Chris Haynes.
Immediate Edge, who is out of the Australian-bred Commands mare Anhaar, an unraced half-sister to the three time Gr 1-winning champion Soqrat, was a R1.2 million Purchase at the BSA National Yearling Sale.
He was not actually the best performed horse in the Hawwaam Stakes on Saturday as he received 3kg from the Lucky Houdalakis-trained shorthead runner up Wild Intent. The latter is by Gimmethegreenlight out of the useful Listed-winning stayer Wild Ash and this twice winner was thought of as good enough to go down to Cape Town to run in the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m, where he finished a not disgraced 6,25 length ninth.
Wild Intent went into Saturday’s race merit rated 96 compared to Immediate Edge’s 88.
Towers Of Gold opened up a big lead at a fair pace and Immediate Edge, jumping from pole position, sat in midfield behind Wild Intent, who had jumped from draw five in the eleven horse field.
Wild Intent set sail for home quite close to the rail and there was a difficult moment for Immediate Edge who was on his inside because Towers Of Gold had impounded and was on the rail. Immediate Edge managed to squeeze between the latter and Wild Intent.
A thrilling duel ensued between Immediate Edge and Wild Intent but Ryan Munger managed to get the former’s head in front close to home. Wild Intent fought back but Immediate Edge managed to keep him at bay by a head.
Hollywoodbets reacted by making Immediate Edge a 17/1 shot for the July and they have Wild Intent at 25/1.
Diwali Rocket was third but was beaten 8,25 lengths.
