Shaama can give trainer 3,000th win
Nicci Garner
Mike de Kock celebrated the 2,997th victory of his career when Alfolk won Race 1 at the Vaal yesterday and, with several fancied runners at Turffontein tomorrow, the multiple champion trainer could well zoom through the 3,000 barrier at the meeting.
One of the races in which he has a strong hand is the R250,000 Acacia Handicap (Grade 3) over 1600m in which his team sends out two runners, Shaama and Nother Russia.
Both have good recent form, but Nother Russia is drawn at No 15 and jockey Craig Zackey has it all to do to overcome that wide barrier.
De Kock has booked Callan Murray for the ride on Australianbred Shaama.
She came from more than five lengths off the leaders when failing by only a short head to tag Kilauea over 1450m on the Inside track last time out.
She is 3.5kg, the equivalent of 3.50 lengths, better off with her conqueror and, fitter now in her second run after a layoff, should have no trouble turning the tables providing Murray can find a more handy position in running this time.
She tries further now, but should stay.
Kilauea has bounced into form since blinkers were added to her equipment and she could finish in the frame again.
The R150,000 Aquanaut Handicap (Listed) over 2450m will also be run at the meeting and Gary Alexander-trained six-year-old mare Coby could defy another penalty taking on the males.
She was raised two points, or 1kg, when finishing a 4.95-length fourth behind Fortissima in a 3200m race here in November and in her only race since, held on to beat Patchitupbaby over this course and distance in January. The handicappers penalised her another three points.
Although worse off with five horses who finished behind her in those races, she is still enjoying her racing, has a good rapport with high-flying apprentice Lyle Hewitson and will be in the picture when the course photographers' cameras flash.
Ormond Ferraris-trained Save The Rhino could be her biggest danger. He was out of action for a year from December 2015 to December 2016 and took a few runs to find form. However, he got back into the No 1 box last time out with a 0.80-length win over Supertube (1kg better off) and six more of these rivals over this course and distance. He cannot be left out of calculations and must be included in all bets.