No. 2026 ISSN 1023 / 6996
MONDAY 17th - THURSDAY 20th MARCH 2014
Well Weighted. The classy Festival Of Fire is set to get back to winning ways at Turffontein on Thursday
FLAMINGO PARK 12:20pm (Monday) p.3
VAAL 11:50am (Tuesday) p.11
FAIRVIEW 12:25pm (Wednesday) p.26
TURFFONTEIN INNER 12:05pm (Thursday) p.35
PINNACLE STAKES at Turffontein on Thursday
W
SA Champion trainer Mike De Kock is currently in fourth position and some R3,2 million behind Cape Champion Justin Snaith on the national trainer log. De Kock’s terrific run in Dubai recently puts that all into perspective and there won’t be any cause for panic just yet.
ith the Gauteng and the KZN Champions season still to come, suggesting that De Kock is languishing or labouring may prove to be a somewhat dramatic and theatrical description of the true state of play. Especially when we reflect back on the position four months from now.
Star Man
Entrenched at the top of the tree here for much of the 21st century, De Kock took the title last year for the fourth successive season and for the eighth time in all. With many of his big guns of the ilk of Shea Shea and Soft Falling Rain competing abroad, he only won two Gr1 races on the domestic scene last season, compared with
six the previous season. This year we have aleady seen him send out the likes of Vercingetorix and Shea Shea (terrific winners this past Super Saturday) and the rather smart Ashaawes, who was sold out of the Piet Steyn yard and made some serious World Cup noises with a good placing on Super Saturday.
Pretender
Snaith on the other hand is itching to win the national title for the first time. He doesn’t look likely to retire before he has achieved
that pinnacle and the marketing orientated Phillipi based conditioner swept aside all previous South African records last season. He shattered Geoff Woodruff ’s ten-year long milestone of 174 winners in a season and his tally of 198 included a record seven winners at one meeting in one day. So it should be interesting and even with the foreign currency credits and international recognition, De Kock won’t want to relinquish his title.
Class Filly
The weather continues to play havoc with our racing but punters will be hoping that the proverbial pot of gold waits at the end of this rainbow. Cont. p.2