Canon Gold Cup - Kotzen & De Kock Stables
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Canon Gold Cup - Kotzen & De Kock Stables
15 years 10 months ago
The Glen Kotzen and Mike de Kock yards fought out the finish of the Vodacom Durban July and both have chances in the Grade 1 Canon Gold Cup on Saturday.
De Kock has the top weight, the eight-year-old Equal Image, and this year’s SA Derby winner, Bouquet-Garni.
Assistant trainer to De Kock, Nathan Kotzen, who is Glen’s brother, said, “Both horses will be as fit as fiddles.”
Equal Image
He said of Equal Image, “He is a game old horse. He is as hard as nails and as sound as a bell. Not many horses win this race with top weight though.”
Equal Image won last year’s Grade 2 Gold Vase over 3000m on July day with top weight and is now two points higher in the merit ratings.
In last year’s Canon Gold Cup, off a one point higher mark than he now runs, he found no extra in the straight and finished 4,5 lengths behind the winner Desert Links in sixth place.
This year, again with top weight, he finished a good fourth in the Schweppes Gold Vase, 2,35 lengths behind the winner, the Mike Bass-trained Diamond Quest.
Two other Gold Cup contenders, the Paul Lafferty-trained five-year-old mare, Steady Chat, and the Stephen Page-trained six-year-old gelding, Mokaro, also finished in front of Equal Image in that race.
Mokaro
He now faces Diamond Quest on 1,5kg better terms, but must face Steady Chat and Mokaro on the same terms.
De Kock stable jockey, Anthony Delpech, will be on Bouquet-Garni.
Nathan said of the big chestnut Strike Smartly gelding, who turns four-years-old on Canon Gold Cup day, “He is working very well. This is his right distance and he is drawn well. He had an interrupted preparation for the July. We tried to get him right for that race but battled. This is the first time, touch wood, that his preparation has gone through without a problem. He would prefer a course with a longer straight, but if we have him handy enough that disadvantage can be overcome.”
The De Kock yard have a number of other runners on the day including Gilded Minaret, who runs in the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet, a weight for age event for fillies and mares over 2000m.
Nathan said, “It is a strong field. She is well in herself. She is sound and very honest.”
Gilded Minaret won this race last year in good style, beating another of this year’s contenders, Outcome, by 2,25 lengths.
Glen Kotzen’s Gold Cup hopes rest with Sudden Storm.
Glen said, “He ran a week apart in his last two starts so we thought he might need the second of those starts. However, he won that start very, very well and has tightened up nicely. We reckon he is a runner.”
Sudden Storm
Sudden Storm was one of the favourites for the Vodacom Durban July in 2006 before having to be scratched.
It was a year before he returned to the track but he is now sound and coming back to his best.
He finished a close third in the Chairman’s over the Gold Cup distance of 3200m at Kenilworth , 1,5 lengths behind Meteor Shower, and faces him on 1kg better terms on Saturday.
The yard has a few runners on the day and Glen made mention of Aikido and Thunder Key.
“Thunder Key was bumped out of the race last time,” he said.
This horse ran 0,5 lengths behind the promising Sharks Bay in the Post Merchants over 1200m at Greyville. He is not drawn as well this time and the trip is also 200m shorter, but he does race off the same merit rating as in the Post Merchants.
De Kock has the top weight, the eight-year-old Equal Image, and this year’s SA Derby winner, Bouquet-Garni.
Assistant trainer to De Kock, Nathan Kotzen, who is Glen’s brother, said, “Both horses will be as fit as fiddles.”
Equal Image
He said of Equal Image, “He is a game old horse. He is as hard as nails and as sound as a bell. Not many horses win this race with top weight though.”
Equal Image won last year’s Grade 2 Gold Vase over 3000m on July day with top weight and is now two points higher in the merit ratings.
In last year’s Canon Gold Cup, off a one point higher mark than he now runs, he found no extra in the straight and finished 4,5 lengths behind the winner Desert Links in sixth place.
This year, again with top weight, he finished a good fourth in the Schweppes Gold Vase, 2,35 lengths behind the winner, the Mike Bass-trained Diamond Quest.
Two other Gold Cup contenders, the Paul Lafferty-trained five-year-old mare, Steady Chat, and the Stephen Page-trained six-year-old gelding, Mokaro, also finished in front of Equal Image in that race.
Mokaro
He now faces Diamond Quest on 1,5kg better terms, but must face Steady Chat and Mokaro on the same terms.
De Kock stable jockey, Anthony Delpech, will be on Bouquet-Garni.
Nathan said of the big chestnut Strike Smartly gelding, who turns four-years-old on Canon Gold Cup day, “He is working very well. This is his right distance and he is drawn well. He had an interrupted preparation for the July. We tried to get him right for that race but battled. This is the first time, touch wood, that his preparation has gone through without a problem. He would prefer a course with a longer straight, but if we have him handy enough that disadvantage can be overcome.”
The De Kock yard have a number of other runners on the day including Gilded Minaret, who runs in the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet, a weight for age event for fillies and mares over 2000m.
Nathan said, “It is a strong field. She is well in herself. She is sound and very honest.”
Gilded Minaret won this race last year in good style, beating another of this year’s contenders, Outcome, by 2,25 lengths.
Glen Kotzen’s Gold Cup hopes rest with Sudden Storm.
Glen said, “He ran a week apart in his last two starts so we thought he might need the second of those starts. However, he won that start very, very well and has tightened up nicely. We reckon he is a runner.”
Sudden Storm
Sudden Storm was one of the favourites for the Vodacom Durban July in 2006 before having to be scratched.
It was a year before he returned to the track but he is now sound and coming back to his best.
He finished a close third in the Chairman’s over the Gold Cup distance of 3200m at Kenilworth , 1,5 lengths behind Meteor Shower, and faces him on 1kg better terms on Saturday.
The yard has a few runners on the day and Glen made mention of Aikido and Thunder Key.
“Thunder Key was bumped out of the race last time,” he said.
This horse ran 0,5 lengths behind the promising Sharks Bay in the Post Merchants over 1200m at Greyville. He is not drawn as well this time and the trip is also 200m shorter, but he does race off the same merit rating as in the Post Merchants.
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