Newmarket Racecourse

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De Kock Aiming for Group Three Glory at Newmarket with Imbongi
22/06/09

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 with Imbongi, 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.”

The South African challenger looks set to face some tough opposition in the John Bovington Memorial Criterion Stakes including Racer Forever, who got the better of King Of Dixie in a thrilling finish to last year’s race. Subsequent Group One winner Court Masterpiece was also narrowly denied in 2005 and the nine-year-old, now in the care of John Quinn after a spell at stud, could return to Newmarket following a fine third in a York conditions race on his first start for more than two years.

Ancien Regime may make his Godolphin debut following a progressive three-year-old campaign for Michael Jarvis that included victory in the Coral.co.uk Sprint on the Rowley Mile and a close sixth in the Group One Sprint Cup at Doncaster in September, while Huntdown, third in last year’s Group One Shadwell Middle Park Stakes, could also make his first appearance for Saeed bin Suroor, having previously been trained by John Gosden.

Other notable entries include Winker Watson, who enjoyed Group Two success on the July Course in the TNT July Stakes in 2007, last season’s Group One Stan James sponsored 1000 Guineas fifth Dream Eater, as well as Laa Rayb and Balthazaar’s Gift, who were third and fourth respectively in the Group Two Victor Chandler Challenge Stakes on the Rowley Mile in October.

Saturday’s seven-race card also includes the £40,000 Listed totesport.com Fred Archer Stakes (2.50pm), run over a mile and a half. A high-quality entry of 13 includes recent Goodwood Listed scorer Mad Rush, who was sixth in last year’s Melbourne Cup, last season’s Oaks fourth Clowance, and the Godolphin trio of Age Of Reason, Covert Ambition and Friston Forest, a dual Listed winner in France.