MIKE de Kock won the Cape Guineas for the fourth time - but his first for 12 years - when Noah From Goa battled home by a hard-fought three-quarters of a length at Kenilworth in Cape Town last Saturday.

The Tiger Ridge gelding, carrying the colours of his breeder Mary Slack, drifted from 3/1 to 5/1 as the money poured on Silver Mountain but Anthony Delpech sent him to the front over a furlong out and kept him going to score by three-quarters of a length.

“He struggled the whole way round the turn as he was on the wrong leg,” the former champion reported. “He is a small horse but very gutsy with a big heart and he doesn’t know how to lie down.”

De Kock had left for Dubai after despatching the horse on the 900-mile journey from Johannesburg earlier in the week. His son and assistant Matthew said: “Noah has had a very hard season and we will decide on the way he comes out of the race whether he stays in Cape Town.

“If he does, the Queen’s Plate on January 9th would be one of the options. We’ve got to expose these three-year-olds to the older horses to see how good they are.”

Second was the Weichong Marwing-ridden Brazuca, an Australian-bred by Teofilo, Jim Bolger’s winner of the 2006 National Stakes and Dewhurst and one of the very few by the Galileo stallion to have raced in South Africa. “If Weichong thinks he will stay 10 furlongs we will leave him here for the Investec Cape Derby on January 23th,” said Johan Janse van Vuuren who is based in Johannesburg.

Silver Mountain, bidding to become the first for 21 years to complete the Fillies Guineas-Cape Guineas double, was all the rage and started odds-on.

Just over a furlong out, as her run gathered momentum, she looked as if she might do it but she could get no closer finishing fourth, less than a length behind the winner.

“I would have preferred a harder pace but I was happy with the way she was making up ground,” reported rider Aldo Domeyer. “I got to the winner’s hindquarters but then he went on again. Had she had another week it might have been different. She will beat these horses in time.”

Her five-length win in the Fillies Guineas had come only a fortnight earlier and this time she came back with a cut on her right hind but trainer Mike Bass, who has won most of the big races bar this one in his near 40-year career, would offer no excuses.

“She had a bit much to make up on them but I thought she ran a good race,” he said. “Aldo gave her a good ride and she had every chance.”

WELL-WISHERS

This was only Bass’s second visit to the racecourse since he had his right leg amputated below the knee in August and his wheelchaired path to the parade ring was slowed by a succession of well-wishers wanting to shake his hand.

The now-legendary trainer has decided to retire at the end of the season and his daughter Candice, who has assisted him for the past 13 seasons, will take over the reins. In the meantime their latest stable star will be prepared for the CTS Million Dollar on January 23rd.

The prize money for this sales race is far in excess of anything South African racing has seen before and it will be converted into rands.

When President Zuma recently sent the currency into free fall by sacking the Finance Minister the race’s value went from R13 million to R15 million inside three days!

Futura favourite

Last season’s winner Futura has hardened to 16/10 favourite for the J & B Met on January 30th. Legislate, also trained by Justin Snaith, is next best at 6/1. Legal Eagle is 13/2 and Captain America 12/1.

Landmark win

Snaith, 41, had the 2,000th winner of his career when The Merry Widow made a winning debut last Saturday. He was champion trainer two seasons ago and is again heading the table.

Pathfork premieres

Jessica Harrington’s National Stakes winner Pathfork will have his first runners this season. He is strongly represented at next month’s Cape Premier Sale with 11 yearlings.