Trainer Mike de Kock's team books passage to Meydan Racecourse

Five horses on their way from Newmarket to Meydan, writes Geoffrey Riddle.

Ertijaal is among a group of five horses trainer Mike de Kock is shipping from Newmarket to Meydan Racecourse. Satish Kumar / The National

Newmarket, England // Mike de Kock’s Dubai string will be complete Saturday when the last of his World Cup Carnival team ship from Newmarket to the UAE.

As the 150-day quarantine process from South Africa to Dubai is so tortuous, De Kock has tinkered with his processes over the years and this summer only five horses made the arduous trip from the Rainbow Nation via Mauritius to England.

The quintet, led by Cape Derby winner Ertijaal, set out from the South Africa in mid July and arrived in England on November 3.

From there they have done little more than stretch their legs before they leave De Kock’s Abington Place stables here at the home of British racing.

Ertijaal, a son of American sire Hard Spun, looks tailor-made for Meydan’s dirt surface and has been saved for the Carnival after finishing second to French Navy in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville in May.

As Ertijaal strode up Newmarket’s famous Warren Hill gallops in the company of Tellina, a hardy six-year-old bay gelding placed in South Africa’s legendary Durban July when with trainer Geoff Woodruff, De Kock’s assistant trainer Steve Jell explained there is much work to be done on the five equine travellers.

“We’ve really only been able to do maintenance work here,” he said.

“We would have loved to be in Dubai with these horses long ago if we could, but we have to work with the quarantine slots available in Mauritius.”

Preceding the workout of Ertijaal and Tellina was that of Winklemann and Liquid Mercury.

Liquid Mercury finished third to Ertijaal in the Cape Derby at Kenilworth in January and struck in the Grade 3 Winter Derby in June.

Overall the grey gelding has won five of his 11 starts and was bought out of trainer Joey Ramsden’s stable by Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa, De Kock’s long-standing patron.

Others to make the journey include Almashooqa, a filly by American sire Bernadini, who has been earmarked for a Classic campaign, and Mutamakkin, an Australian-bred son of Redoute’s Choice.

Two other horses complete the set.

Winklemann was formerly trained in Italy but was purchased from the Arqana Sale in October for a reported US$100,000 (Dh367,295), and Eisenhower was bought at Tattersalls in October for 60,000 guineas from owner/breeder Joseph Allen with a dirt campaign very much in mind.

Last season was a landmark one for De Kock in the Meydan era. He saddled 124 runners in the UAE, which is numerically his best since the UAE’s flagship facility opened its vast doors in 2010.

Several of those horses, such as 2014 Al Fahidi Fort winner Anaerobio, stayed at De Kock’s Blue Stables facility in Dubai during the summer.

Others, such as UAE Derby winner Mubtaahij and US miler Prayer For Relief, returned to Newmarket before flying back to Dubai to compete during the Carnival.

The hugely exciting Vale Dori, an Argentine Group 1-winning daughter of De Kock’s six-time Nad Al sheba winner Asiatic Boy, is already in situ.

De Kock’s UAE season got underway last night at Meydan when he sent out Baroot and General Marshall to be his earliest pre-Carnival runners that have represented him.

His campaign has begun.

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