Leading South African trainer Mike de Kock plans to export two of the country’s best horses to Australia ahead of opening a stable in Victoria.
Soqrat and Hawwaam are in the top five horses in South Africa and are set to leave next month to come to Australia via England.
Hawwaam is listed to run at Turffontein on Thursday in the Pinnacle Stakes (1600m) ahead of a feature race on December 10.
“Both my horses are on track for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and Sun Met and then off to the UK en route to Australia,” de Kock told the Sporting Post.
“That is subject to the protocols being lifted and I’m confident of that happening.”
A multiple champin trainer in South Africa, de Kock announced in August he and his son Mathew would be setting up a satellite yard at Cranbourne, near Melbourne.
He said at the time they were doing it as a pre-emptive move for South African export protocols opening up.
“Soon we’ll be exporting from South Africa at an exchange rate of roughly 10 rand to the Australian dollar, which is a great opportunity and makes good business sense,” he said.
“We will also be supporting the Australian market as we have been doing.”
