Drumnadrochit spreadeagled a Pinnacle Stakes field to win by 11,25 lengths on Saturday at Turffontein Inside (JC Photos)
The Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Drumnadrochit burst into the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup picture when demolishing a Pinnacle Stakes field over 1800m at Turffontein Inside on Saturday to win by 11,25 lengths.
The Ridgemont home-bred four-year-old Rafeef filly, who is owned in partnership with Devin Heffer, is out of the five-time-winning Dynasty miler Kelpie and won on debut over a mile indicating she was always going to enjoy going over ground.
She won third time out over 1700m and was not far back in either the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas nor the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic over 1800m.
The De Kocks decided to give her a break after a below par run in the Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks as she was still immature.
It has paid dividends and as Callan Murray said after yesterday’s race she had always had a good temperament and she now had a body to match.
That was evident in her seasonal reappearance when running on strongly for a close up third in the Listed Off To Stud Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
She has been prepared for the season so far out of Summerveld and arrived on the Highveld on Friday.
On Saturday she was officially the best weighted runner off a 105 merit rating, because she received a 2 kg gender allowance meaning she carried a nice galloping weight of 56kg under Murray.
From draw three in the six horse field Murray wisely sat on his mount from the off allowing her to eventually get the rail in the box seat, while the first and second favourites Diogenes and Palace Prince were caught two wide and three wide alongside Fire N’ Flames, who was on the rail ahead of Drumnadrochit.
Palace Prince eventually went around Fire ‘N Flames into the lead, but the exertion had proved costly and when Drumnadrichit was switched outward in the straight she cruised past him while still on a double handful.
She went further and further clear and it was left to King’s Express to run on from last for second place ahead of Palace Prince with Diogenes being one of four favourites on the day who finished last.
Drumnadrochit must be considered a Summer Cup hopeful, especially when considering last year’s winner Mocha Blend was similarly looked after as a three-year-old to allow her to strengthen and mature and she won it off a mere 105 rating. Mocha Blend was in fact 5,5kg under sufferance in the big race.
Drumnadrochit will likely get the full six points for her win and go up to 111, which should give her room to still run again and still come in with bottom weight of 54kg.
The De Kocks also won the previous race, a MR 86 handicap over 1200m, with the 90-rated Hawwaam three-year-old gelding Fierceness, who is out of the stakes-winming Soft Falling Rain mare Gin Fizz. He was having just his third start and secured his second win despite making a hash of the start. He bravely got the better of a thrilling duel to the line with four-year-old Periodic Table to whom he gave half-a-kilogram. It was further evidence that Hawwaam looks likely to become a successful sire and Mathew said afterwards they had high hopes for this horse. It was the second leg of a double for Muzi Yeni. Owner Dayalan Chinsammy also scored a double as a part-owner in the Joe Soma-trained Raptor King (New Predator), a promising sort, who came from a layoff to win the second race for Dayalan and the Wernars family to make it two wins from four career starts.
The De Kocks made it three-in-a-row when Master Of My Fate three-year-old filly Special Envoy won a MR 74 Handicap over 1800m off an 86 merit rating under Calvin Ngcobo. She has won two out of three and could be a classic hopeful.
Yeni’s double began with the well-backed Weichong Marwing-trained first-time gelding Erikson (Erik The Red) in the first race over 1200m.
The favourite Tenareef was caught wide early from a wide draw in the first and was later reported to be not striding out on his right hind.
That set the scene for favourite backers as only one favourite on the day ( Fierceness) finished in the first three. On the other hand there were only two outsiders who won, so some might have managed to negotiate the meeting well.
On Friday on the Fairview poly Alan Greeff scored a four-timer to go to 22 wins for the season, just one behind joint leaders Justin Snaith and Dean Smith. Two of Greeff’s winners were ridden by Richard Fourie and two were ridden by Craig Zackey.
