Mike de Kock has two runners in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m to be run at Greyville on Saturday, Wild One and Canterbury Tale, and can’t separate them despite stable jockey Anthony Delpech being on the former.

De Kock also has a strong hand in the two Gr 1 two-year-old races on the day with five runners in total.

He said about his Gold Cup pair, who have both drawn wide, “They are a similar type of horse and will both relish the trip, so I don’t have a preference. They are both very well.”

Canterbury Tale, a five-year-old gelding by Greys Inn, showed that he is an out and out stayer in last year’s Gold Cup, when staying on strongly for third. He is only two points higher in the merit ratings this year, but carries the identical weight of 54kg. Earlier last season he won the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m at Turffontein, albeit with a light weight of 52kg. He looks to have had a perfect preparation this year, as this will be his third run after a seven month layoff. He is drawn 15 out of the 16 runners, but does have the experienced and top class jockey Weichong Marwing aboard.

Wild One has always struck as being a stayer and is not only coming into his own, but looks potentially well handicapped carrying a weight of just 53,5kg. He gave his passionate owner Sean Phillips his first Graded race success when winning the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m at Greyville in May and followed that run with a 0,25 length third to Hot Ticket in the Gr 2 Nokia Gold Vase over 3000m on Vodacom Durban July day. He is now 0,5kg better off with Hot Ticket, but on the downside he was well drawn in both of his last two races, but now has to jump from the widest draw of all. However, in those last two starts he did not display the tendency he once had of getting going too late in the straight. Delpech will therefore have one or two options, although slotting a horse into a good position before the first turn is never easy from wide out in this race.

De Kock runs the Gr 1 Allan Robertson winner Alboran Sea as well as Pine Princess in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m for two-year-old fillies.

Alboran Sea jumped tardily last time out in the Zulu Kingdom Golden Slipper over 1400m, but looked the winner when bursting into the lead late, only to be caught near the line by the outsider Bilateral. Alboran Sea was later shown to have cast a shoe. Pine Princess was drawn wide in the Golden Slipper, but stayed on well from a handy position for a 0,75 length third.

De Kock said that both fillies had come out of that race well and added, “Pine Princess will relish the step up in trip. It might be the top end of Alboran Sea’s range because she has tremendous speed, but I don’t know that might be an asset because on pedigree she will get the trip on her head.”

Alboran Sea was drawn well in her last two starts and has a fair draw of seven here, while Pine Princess is drawn six. Delpech replaces Muzi Yeni on Alboran Sea and Bernard Fayd’Herbe replaces Delpech on Pine Princess.

De Kock said that both Anjaal and Jayyed had pulled up a bit “jarred up” from their July day runs where they finished within a short-head of each other in fourth and fifth respectively in the Gr 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m. They have about 2,5 lengths to make up on the winner Arikaburn. They are both fine now and De Kock said they were both “crying out” for this step up in trip. Mootahadee is his third runner here and shouldn’t be underestimated as he finished close up to older horses over 1400m on the Greyville polytrack last time, when running off an official merit rating of 84. It is never easy for a two-year-old in open handicaps and De Kock thinks a lot of Mootahadee. He concluded, “All three will be decent horses in time to come and all are doing well. In the long term the maiden Jayyed might be the best of them. He was underdone when beaten 1,5 lengths by MLJet over 1450m at Clairwood, so there is not much between those two and MLJet looks the horse to beat in this race.”

Delpech chose to ride Anjaal, but was not convinced he was on the right on, while Fayd’Herbe is on Jayyed and Yeni is on Mootahadee. They are drawn 8, 12 and 10 respectively