Mike de Kock landed the sixth WSB SA Derby of his career and the 130th Grade 1 at Turffontein Standside today with Rafeef gelding Aragosta ridden by Richard Fourie who landed his fifth Grade 1 this season.
Aragosta was carried outward in the closing stages by the runner up Zeus (Soft Falling Rain), who is a half-brother and stablemate to 2020 Fabian Habib-trained SA Derby winner Out Of Your League.
However, the rangy bay showed courage to get around him and eventually won by a cosy half-a-length.
London Roads (Elusive Fort) was third but was beaten six lengths in a race in which a few became unsettled in the early stages before Tabebuia took it up.
The latter went well clear and entered the straight many lengths in front before fading.
Litigation (Greys Inn) was a disappointing 6,50 length fourth.
His stablemate Platinum Sky was beaten ten lengths in fifth and Grade 1 SA Classic winner Red Saxon could only manage sixth.
It was a rewarding win for De Kock because Aragosta, who is out of a Galileo mare, was bred by the Oppenheimer family’s Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein Stud and his first SA Derby victory was with the great Oppenheimer homebred Horse Chestnut.
Furthermore, he trained the sires of both the winner and the runner up, Rafeef and Soft Falling Rain, who were both sprint-miler types and were bred to stamina in this instance.
However most importantly Aragosta is owned by good friends of his, JR van der Linden, Murray Makepeace, who has only owned four horses and has now had two Grade 1 winners, and Jehan Malherbe and his wife Noeline.
Picture: JC Photos
