Asiatic Boy and Honour Devil for U.S.

Asiatic Boy and Honour Devil set for US move


MIKE DE KOCK's pair of UAE Derby winners Asiatic Boy, who returned coughing after flopping in the World Cup, and Honour Devil look set to continue their careers in America with Kiaran McLaughlin.

The New York-based trainer, whose Albertus Maximus also produced a lacklustre effort in the world's richest race, is best known for former World Cup winner Invasor.

The De Kock bandwagon was temporarily derailed at Nad Al Sheba when not a single member of a strong-looking team made the frame.

Now the phlegmatic South African is realigning his sights on a summer based in Newmarket, when major targets in Hong Kong, Singapore and Royal Ascot all feature on the immediate agenda.

He looks set to say goodbye for good to stable star Asiatic Boy, a standing dish in Dubai, where he has won six races at the Carnival.

"We will assess options for Asiatic Boy when we see how he has come out of Saturday as he had a hard race," said De Kock.

"However, it is quite likely he and Honour Devil will go to Kiaran McLaughlin for the New York summer season. Asiatic will probably then retire to Argentina and Honour Devil come back - hopefully for a World Cup bid.

"Saturday was disappointing - of course it was," he added. "Asiatic Boy had won well on Super Thursday but a slow start and traffic problems in the World Cup soon had him in trouble.

"He is obviously far better than that and came back coughing and just was not able to show how good he is which is a shame. But that's racing and he will have another big day I am sure in America."

For only the second time since he first arrived in Dubai in 2003, De Kock failed to saddle a winner on Dubai World Cup night.

"Listen, the carnival gets better year in, year out and those races are harder and harder to win all the time," he said.

"There were two awesome performances on the night, from Well Armed and Gladiatorus, and the best horses won on the day," he went on.

"Archipenko was perhaps abit flat but at his very best he would have struggled against Gladiatorus and Bankable ran well in that race.

"The Sheema Classic developed into a sprint and King Of Rome, who we fancied, just could not get into it."

De Kock is already focussing on the summer, and he plans to transfer a select team to Europe ready for Guineas weekend.

"A few have come back with cuts and bruises but it is onwards and upwards," he said. "They start quarantine next week but Bankable and Mythical Flight could go to Singapore before the UK.

"Archipenko and Imbongi might go to Hong Kong but I do not want to take Gladiatorus on again if hegoes."

"Otherwise, the plans remain the same and most of Saturday night's runners will head to Newmarket and fingers crossed Eagle Mountain will be able to resume training when we land.

Several of De Kock’s 10 runners at the world’s richest race meeting had outstanding chances on form, but an evening that had promised much delivered disappointingly little with Brave Tin Soldier faring best of the lot in finishing fifth in the Godolphin Mile.

``Obviously it was hugely disappointing and I do feel for my staff, who rely on winners for bonuses, and my patrons who spent a lot of money to get to Dubai and had to leave with very little,’’ said De Kock. ``But I don’t live or die by one meeting. We have had a terrific run on World Cup night and statistically it couldn’t go on forever.’’

De Kock pointed out that training at Nad Al Sheba had been tough this year because of the construction of the new Meydan racing venue. And to make matters worse an excess of horses had respiratory problems caused by factors like the humidity and the dust blown in off the desert and from the Meydan building operations. Several of his World Cup night runners were coughing afterwards and Russian Sage bled from both nostrils.

``It wasn’t easy and I had to be softer than normal on the horses. But on the night most of them had every chance,’’ said De Kock. ``Lucky Find and Art of War in the Godolphin Mile were simply not good enough, while I was pleased with Brave Tin Soldier’s effort.

``Archipenko and Bankable had to chase Gladiatorus in the Duty Free and as a result didn’t have much to come late in the race. At very best Archipenko could have finished second or third to Gladiatorus, who is arguably the best turf horse in the world over 1600m to 1800m.

``In the Sheema Classic, Front House ran well for a long way and only faded late, while King Of Rome got trapped on the fence. Russian Sage bled and Macarthur just never got going from a bad draw. And in the big one Asiatic Boy was never travelling after missing the break and pulled up coughing badly.’’

Asiatic Boy and Honour Devil are to join trainer Kieran McLaughlin in New York for the summer season. Asiatic Boy is likely to retire to Argentina afterwards, but Honour Devil will return to Dubai for the 2010 Carnival.

De Kock will spend the next couple of weeks in South Africa before heading to Hong Kong and the Group 1 QE II Cup, which he is targeting with Archipenko and Imbongi. After that he will be heading to England for the summer season.