De Kock targets Cape Guineas after double
DINGAANS: FAMOUS RACE THROWS UP ANOTHER EXCITING TALENT IN HAWWAAM Ghaalla looks like a contender for the Triple Tiara.
Trainer Mike de Kock, delighted by a notable three-year-old featurerace double at Turffontein on Saturday, has revealed he aims to take his emerging stars to Cape Town for the Guineas races there in midDecember.
Hawwaam, who was particularly impressive in taking the 1600m Grade 2 Dingaans, will be entered in the Cape Guineas, while Ghaalla, narrow winner of the Fillies Mile, will go for the Cape Fillies Guineas.
The two races will be run on the same day, 15 December, in a change to the usual Cape summer programme.
De Kock’s plans are, as always, dependent on the draws his charges get for the time-honoured classics at Kenilworth.
Hawwaam had seasoned racing pundits reaching for superlatives after he demolished a vaunted field in the Dingaans.
De Kock said he would be discussing Hawwaam’s future with owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum – who also owns Ghaalla.
This son of Silvano’s performance immediately sparked thoughts of an international campaign. De Kock said if it is decided that the colt should head overseas he is likely to tackle the 2019 Sun Met in January, prior to entering quarantine.
Ridden by Gavin Lerena, Hawwaam was poorly drawn at 14 of the 15 runners. He had only run once before, for a maiden win. Nonetheless, he started as the 4-1 second favourite.
Lerena was forced to drop his mount out of the firing line and race near the back of the field from the 1600m start. With 500m left to run, he still had about 10 lengths to make up on front-running favourite National Park.
In the finishing stretch, guided by Lerena, the colt found a route through the surging pack and streaked clear to win by several lengths.
Thanksgiving, a raider from from Duncan Howells’ Summerveld stable, ran a superb race to be second behind what is clearly an exceptional horse, with Green Haze third and 11-10 shot National Park hanging on for fourth.
Asked afterwards when he thought he had the race won, Lerena said: “At the 800; he was travelling that well.”
Past the post, Lerena struggled to pull up Hawwaam, only stopping the gallop in the Turffontein back stretch.
The Dingaans is a venerable three-year-old contest that has seen the emergence of many a champion racehorse down the years. Hawwaam's performance gives every indication he will be the latest in the long line of stars.
His only previous visit to the races was about three weeks ago. He won the much-discussed "nowhip" race at Turffontein under stable jockey Randall Simons by a length from fellow debutante Reach For The Line. There were a further nine lengths back to the third horse home.
On Saturday Simons was aboard Ghaalla, who was somewhat neglected in the betting for the Fillies Mile, Equus Champion Juvenile Filly Return Flight attracting most of the money.
Return Flight, from the Sean Tarry yard, got away smartly from the No 3 gate at the 1600m start and scooted into the lead. Ghaalla, jumping from 12 out of 13, did well to find a travelling slot in midfield.
In the straight, with 500m to go, Return Flight still held sway, but she suddenly tired. I Like It – who’d won an Assessment Plate at the Vaal just four days earlier – flew along the inside rail to take advantage.
All the while, Ghaalla and Simons were making up ground down the middle of the track. They threw everything into a final lunge for the line and pipped the game I Like It and jockey Sherman Brown on the post.
Ronnie's Candy, a resolute runner for trainer St John Gray, finished strongly to collect the third prize.
De Kock said later he believes the strapping Ghaalla to be an ideal Triple Tiara contender.