Dubai Carnival beads: De Kock rules the roost

“Mike’s a magician!”

So intoned the voice of Meydan, Terry Spargo, after Mike de Kock sent out his third winner on last Thursday evening’s Dubai Carnival card. Not only did the South African horseman record a treble, beginning with the opportunistic Alareef in the opener, but he maintained his stranglehold on the Al Rashidiya (G2) with a near-trifecta, and later swept the top three placings in a turf handicap.

De Kock was winning the Al Rashidiya for the fifth consecutive year, and eighth time overall. This result was especially pleasing because it was all about the future: once-beaten Forries Waltz outkicked Cape Derby (G1)-winning stablemate Ertijaal late, and the lightly-raced colts pulled right away from a useful yardstick in Earnshaw. De Kock’s veteran Mujaarib, who kept the trainer’s streak alive when taking this race in 2014, left himself too much to do and missed third in a photo. Earnshaw’s nose was just in the way of a de Kock clean sweep. The winner's final time of 1:47.85 for about nine furlongs on the turf underscored the race's merit.

Forries Waltz was coming off a metric mile handicap win in his January 14 comeback. The South African-bred son of Greys Inn thus had a recency edge over Ertijaal, who hadn’t raced since finishing second to eventual South African champion French Navy in the Daily News 2000 (G1) at Greyville last May. (Remember, this is the Australian-bred Ertijaal, not the Irish-bred turf sprinter Ertijaal.)

But Forries Waltz also had two questions to answer in this spot: he’d never tried about nine furlongs, or Group company. While the first figured to be in his wheelhouse, the second needed proving. He did so by deploying a superior turn of foot for Christophe Soumillon, and extending his career record to 5-for-6.

Still, Ertijaal emerged with great credit and reaffirmed his status as a proper World Cup night prospect. Aside from any rustiness here, the lanky chestnut strikes me as more of a 10-furlong type (maybe even longer), and he was arguably just beaten for finishing speed at this trip. Moreover, both on pedigree and running style, Ertijaal looks like a dirt horse who's adept on turf. (I think James Willoughby made a similar point on the Racing UK coverage.) The son of Hard Spun is a forwardly placed, relentless galloper, pummeling rivals into submission rather than outsprinting them.

“Fitness prevailed over class tonight,” de Kock said on his website. “Forries Waltz got the better of Ertijaal, but the runner-up was impressive too and he will make big improvement after this. He has a sand pedigree, being by Hard Spun, and we’ll keep the sand in consideration when we plan the rest of his campaign.”

 

“Ban” lifted: Just when I was beginning to lose hope of Banaadeer ever making good, de Kock found the key by stepping him up from five to about seven furlongs, and he responded by nearly wiring a handicap. Only a desperate finish by elder statesman Anaerobio robbed him at the wire. The final time of 1:23.13 wasn’t far off Safety Check’s new course record of 1:22.77, so Banaadeer wasn’t hanging about. Whatever Carnival path he plots now, Banaadeer could be a sprinter to go to war with in Europe this season too. Group 1-placed at two, by More Than Ready and from a mouthwatering Australian family, he’s got stallion appeal if he can step up to the plate internationally.