Monday 22nd June 2009
De Kock aiming for Group 3 glory at Newmarket
FRESH from seeing his Darley July Cup contender J J The Jet Plane finish fourth in the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday, South African trainer Mike de Kock is eyeing another British prize withImbongi, who is one of 18 entries for the £65,000 Group Three John Bovington Memorial Criterion Stakes (3.25pm) at Newmarket’s July Course on Saturday, June 27.
The five-year-old is set to make his European debut in the seven-furlong contest following a string of fine efforts in Hong Kong and Dubai earlier in the year, including a staying-on sixth last time out in the Group One Champions Mile at Sha Tin on April 26.
He had previously been fourth in two Group Two races at Nad Al Sheba and was narrowly denied on his seasonal debut at the same course in a valuable seven-furlong handicap, when he just failed to collar Hatta Fort.
In his native South Africa last year, Imbongi proved himself to be one of the leading milers of his generation, landing Grade Two contests at Turffontein in March and Greyville in April before returning to the latter course a month later to defeat five previous Grade One winners in the Grade Two Drill Hall Stakes.
De Kock revealed today: “Imbongi is an intended runner in the John Bovington Memorial Criterion Stakes as things stand. He worked on the Rowley Mile with Diana’s Choice two weeks ago and he took it well. I think that seven furlongs to a mile is his best trip and the forecast ground should be an advantage for him.
“We had some poor ventilation in Dubai and some of the horses bled out there but he still showed a decent level of form, including when he finished in front of Vodka in a Group Two in March.
“It wasn’t a bad performance in Hong Kong either, when he ran from quite far back. Alexandros was a neck behind him on that occasion and he went on to be second in the Lockinge Stakes, so we have some collateral form to work with.
“Some of the top milers around ran in that race and he was too far out of his ground, but he still ran on well in the closing stages. We will hopefully start him off at Newmarket and then take his season from there.”
