De Kock’s World Cup target gets tougher
Trainer Mike de Kock’s chances of winning his first Dubai World Cup have taken a nosedive with the news that US superstar Arrogate will make the journey from his California base for the $10m race on March 25.
Hall-Of-Fame trainer Bob Baffert said the Dubai race would be the four-year-old’s next target after a pleasing workout in Santa Anita.
This breaking news will not be well received by De Kock who now knows his star performer Mubtaahij has a mountain to climb if he is to secure top honours at Meydan.
Mubtaahij ran a great race to finish second in 2016’s Gold Cup and the legendary South African trainer was happy with his horse’s recent second place in the Curlin Handicap.
However, Arrogate, winner of the $12m Pegasus Cup in January, in which he defeated the highly rated California Chome, is considered to be the best horse on the planet at present.
Bookmaker reaction to Baffert’s decision was to install Arrogate as the 1-3 favourite for the World Cup with Mubtaahij quoted at 7-1 and another Baffert raider, Hoppertunity, at 10-1.
On the home front, the De Kock stable faces a busy weekend with fancied runners in both the Betting World Gauteng Guineas and Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas to be run at Turffontein on Saturday.
Gauteng bookmaker Lance Michael makes De Kock’s Aussie import Heavenly Blue as the marginal favourite over Sean Tarry’s three-year-old Furiosa in the Guineas for colts and geldings. Surprisingly, Michael has De Kock’s unbeaten filly Orchid Island, the mount of Anthony Delpech, ahead of stablemate Ektifaa in the fillies event. The latter’s merit rating is 10 points superior to her stablemate.
Tarry’s talented filly Safe Harbour is quoted third favourite at 4-1, but she will have to overcome a very wide draw.
The De Kock yard sends four runners to Thursday’s meeting at the Vaal and the quartet includes the newcomer Alfolk, who makes his debut in the first race. The Aussie-bred son of Lonhro will need monitoring in the betting along with the Var colt, Polar Ice, who has his first outing for Geoff Woodruff.
Although the De Kocktrained Fort Wood filly Gain Ground could benefit from a drop in trip in the final leg of the Pick 6, the four-year-old is unlikely to beat Gavin Lerena’s mount Always A Lady. This lightly raced daughter of Dynasty looks ready to notch her second win.
Lerena’s ninth race mount, She’s A Giver, looks likely to be sent off favourite despite her unplaced run behind William Longsword in the CTS Mile at Kenilworth on Sun Met day.
This is a much easier assignment and trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren’s filly may have most to fear from the twice-raced Captain Al colt, Apocalypse Now.
Piere Strydom’s mount Angel’s Power will also have his supporters.
Strydom could also go close in the seventh race in which he partners recent Scottsville second, Street Flyer, for trainer Lucky Houdalakis. The Aussie import is in good heart but will have to produce his best form to get the better of the Andrew Fortunes mount Maximizer.