Champion South African mare River Jetez enjoyed a welcome change of luck to claim a decisive victory in the G2 Balanchine at Meydan on Friday night.

River Jetez (8m Jet Master – Stormsvlei by Prince Florimund) was a good thing beaten in the G2 Cape Verdi last month but she made amends with a withering finish to defeat stablemate Reem by two-lengths.

River Jetez was a G1 winner of the 2010 J&B Met in Cape Town for trainer Mike Bass before transferring to Mike De Kock for a Gulf campaign this year.  She is a younger sister to recently retired South African legend Pocket Power.

“She is a very good mare and will run in either the Sheema Classic or the Duty Free on World Cup night,” De Kock said.  “She was very unlucky last time but Christophe (Soumillon) timed her run perfectly tonight.”

Australian bred filly Reem (3f Galileo – Al Afreet by Danehill) had won the UAE 1000 Guineas Trial in January and was then runner-up to fellow Aussie bred stablemate Mahbooba (Galileo) in the UAE 1000 Guineas earlier this month.

De Kock also trained Golden Sword to win at Meydan on Friday night and he will aim the Irish bred High Chaparral gelding for the Dubai World Cup.  

Golden Sword won the 2009 G3 Chester Vase and then finished fifth, beaten just two lengths, by Sea The Stars in the G1 English Derby a month later.  He was also runner-up to Fame And Glory in the G1 Irish Derby.

The South African whizz also has Bold Silvano (Silvano) and Australian bred colt Musir (Redoute’s Choice) among the front-line candidates for the Dubai World Cup next month.