How July hopefuls shape in preps
CONCERN: DE KOCK RUNNER WILL COME IN WITH A LIGHT WEIGHT AND THEY WILL HAVE TO FIND A SUITABLE JOCKEY
Strydom rides his first winner back and is also very happy with Abashiri’s warm-up race.
Yakeen earned his spot in the R4.25-million Vodacom Durban July after a narrow victory in the Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap over 1800m on the Turffontein Standside track yesterday.
The race was touted as a straight fight between Mike de Kock-trained Yakeen and Tilbury Fort from the Sean Tarry yard and that is exactly how it panned out.
Trading Profit set the pace from Jubilee Line with Deo Juvente in third and Fort Ember who, wearing blinkers for the first time, kept fighting her rider, in fourth.
Yakeen was on their heels about four lengths off the leader while Tilbury Fort was further back, just behind his stable companion, Social Order.
Trading Profit disappeared from the scene shortly after they turned for home as Jubilee Line took over and Yakeen slipped through on the inside rail.
Lyle Hewitson had Tilbury Fort in full cry in the centre of the course. With 150m to go it was a two-horse race with Yakeen holding a slight edge but just before they reached the tote board Tarry’s charge put his nose in front and looked to have the race wrapped up.
But jockey Muzi Yeni, who has been in great form in Gauteng this season, was no to be denied and he fought back to snare Tilbury Fort on the line and win by a short head.
The problem for the De Kock yard is who will be available to ride Yakeen in the Durban July.
“He is likely to come in with a weight of around 52.5kg but Muzi can’t take the ride as he is committed to ride Coral Fever,” said Mathew de Kock.
The whole day turned out to be a De Kock benefit as they won five of the nine races, including the Jubilee Handicap. They certainly look to have a very decent sort in Soqrat (9-20), who won his second successive start.
The De Kock stable went on to win Race 2 with Nafaayes (17-10), Race 5 with Dame Eleanor (22-1), Race 7 with Yakeen (5-2) and Race 8 with Mambo Model (8-1).
Piere Strydom made his return from injury yesterday in Race 3 and made it a winning ride aboard Down To Zero for the Mike and Adam Azzie yard. In Race 4 he teamed up with Abashiri, who will be his Durban July ride, for the first time.
Over all he was very happy with the run because although Abashiri ran unplaced, he did run on very well over 1400m, a distance way short of his best, to get beaten