Although trainer Mike de Kock was out of luck in the main event on
President’s Champions Challenge Day at Turffontein, the South African horseman
nevertheless scored a Group 1 double on the big card.
Pine Princess (Captain Al) came again to deny Triple Tiara-seeking Siren’s
Call (Elusive Fort) in the S A Oaks (SAf-G1).
The de Kock trainee has been knocking at the door at the highest level,
having been placed in South Africa’s Golden Slipper (SAf-G1) as a two-year-old
last year and twice fourth in Group 1s since the turn of the calendar. She
checked in fourth going 1800 meters in the Paddock S. (SAf-G1) January 10, but
could manage only eighth dropped back to a mile in the Gauteng Fillies Guineas
(SAf-G2) over this strip February 28. She was fourth once again in the S A
Fillies’ Classic (SAf-G1) back at 1800 meters March 28, and seemed to relish the
added ground Saturday.
Dropping back to travel in the second half of the strung-out field, Pine
Princess was three-wide around both bends but shrugged off that inconvenience,
striding to the lead under a near-motionless Anthony Delpech at the top of the
lane. She was headed by Siren’s Call inside the final furlong but fought back
gamely to nail that rival on the wire.
De Kock also sent out Alboran Sea (Rock of Gibraltar) to capture the
Computaform Sprint (SAf-G1). The three-year-old filly earned her first Group 1
in just her second start going six furlongs in the Allan Robertson Championship
(SAf-G1) a little more than a year ago, but she has shown as of late that five
furlongs may just be her game, as she has now won back-to-back Group 1s over the
minimum distance.
Victorious in the Cape Flying Championship (SAf-G1) January 24, Alboran Sea
was sent off the second choice here. Quickly working her way up to travel with
the leaders on the stand’s side rail, the bay hooked up with Carry On Alice, the
only other three-year-old filly in the lineup, at the 300-meter mark and had to
call on all her reserves to see off that stubborn foe after the pair pulled
clear in the final furlong.
The de Kock yard was expected to plunder the President’s Champions Challenge
(SAf-G1) with 4-5 favorite Majmu (Redoute’s Choice), but the sophomore filly had
to settle for second behind the veteran Wylie Hall — also by Redoute’s Choice.
Wylie Hall earned his first Group 1 win on this card two years ago when
taking the S A Derby (SAf-G1), but had failed to win again until victorious in
the Colorado King S. (SAf-G2) over this track and 10-furlong trip three weeks
ago. The Australian-bred crossed the wire first in last year’s Durban July
(SAf-G1), but was disqualified and placed second. He beat just two when 12th in
the Champions Cup (SAf-G1) three weeks later, and was making his first start
since in the Colorado King. Breathing down the neck of the heavily favored Majmu
in midpack through the opening stages, Wylie Hall was steered to the stand’s
side rail by jockey Bernard Fayd’herbe at the top of the lane, hit the lead at
the 300-meter mark and was all out to score.
In Saturday’s renewal of the S A Derby, the de Kock-trained Ertijaal (Hard
Spun) was only fourth behind Legal Eagle (Greys Inn) from the Sean Tarry yard.
Legal Eagle has appeared to relish each step up in distance, and he took his
latest leap in stride when registering his first Group 1 here. A second-out
winner going a mile March 5, Legal Eagle was second in a Vaal handicap going a
half-furlong longer two weeks later, and took his black-type debut when
stretching out to 1 1/4 miles in the Derby Trial here April 4.
Racing wide with three beaten early, Legal Eagle stormed down the stand’s
side rail in the lane. He appeared to bother the favorites Ertijaal and French
Navy (Count Dubois) slightly in the closing stages, but that pair already
appeared beaten. Legal Eagle went on to win by a widening margin from Deputy Jud
(Judpot), with stablemate French Navy giving Tarry a one-three result.
Rounding out the Group 1 action, Arabian Beat (Black Minnaloushe) sprang a
16-1 upset of de Kock’s Shaama (Redoute’s Choice) in the S A Nursery (SAf-G1).
A debut winner over this course February 28, Arabian Beat could manage only
second over Turffontein’s soft going a month later in the Protea S. (SAf-G3),
but he proved the deep ground wasn’t an issue Saturday when earning his first
black-type victory at long odds. Traveling midpack one path off the stand’s side
rail down the Turffontein straight, the bay was roused by jockey Craig Zackey
passing the 600-meter mark and ultimately disposed of the stubborn filly Shaama
to win comfortably.
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