Unbacked double on unforgettable day!

Thursday, April 30, proved an interesting and memorable day for the De Kock team and the Murugasa family in more ways than one.

The De Kock family spent the day with Jayson and Preshalin Murugasa on their farm near La Mercy, enjoying some relaxed fishing while following the progress of their two runners at Turffontein together.

Young Liam de Kock caught his first fish – and it proved a ‘lucky’ one, as both Murugasa-owned runners won handsomely, landing a 100-1 double return. The TAB tote double on Sosoru and Angel’s Oasis showed a dividend of R92.

While those yields didn’t come to the party on the farm, there were other reasons to celebrate. The manner in which Sosaru (Vercingetorix) handled himself suggests plenty of promise for the future. He skipped clear of his rivals early and maintained a strong gallop throughout, drawing away to win by 4.75 lengths. Angel’s Oasis (Querari) scored by a narrower 1.20 lengths, but did so with something in hand.

Mike and Mathew had their concerns, pre-race. Sosoru (Race 8, 1160m, headline photo) looked a 1000m specialist and, given his keenness and inexperience, there were fears he might not see out the extra 160 metres. Angel’s Oasis (Race 9, 1000m, photo below), meanwhile, had shown very little in her home gallops and lined up as something of an unknown on her first run for the stable.

“There was simply no way we could give the Murugasas – or punters, for that matter – any real betting confidence. Jayson reckoned he could have relieved bookmakers of a fair bit of their spare cash. But this is what racing is all about. Some may think otherwise, but it’s not just about pushing buttons. We were all smiling about racing’s unpredictability afterwards.”

He added: “There will be many more winners to come for the Murugasa family. They have a number of nice young horses that will race through the ranks, and we are delighted for them. We’ve formed a lovely friendship, and they are wonderful owners to train for.”