In 1871, Kimberley was just a hillock called Colesberg Kopje. Prospectors suspected there might be diamonds there and started digging. But it was a lowly cook, Esau Damoense, who first unearthed a shovelful of shiny stones and uncovered the great kimberlite pipe.Thus began the "New Rush" and the kopje became the Big Hole. And Kimberley became the most important place in Southern Africa for a while.Nowadays it's sleepy; all dug-out. An ancient bar called The Star of the West sits dozily on a street corner contemplating a tumultuous past. Bits and pieces from the days of diamond plunderers Barney Barnato and Cecil Rhodes intrigue the half-sozzled clientele.Each year, in mid-winter, there's a reminder of the rush as a bunch of outsiders hit town in search of loot. These are visiting trainers and jockeys from Joburg and Durban, in town for Kimberley's biggest horse race meeting of the year.Tomorrow is the big day on the sand at Flamingo Park.Maestro trainer Mike de Kock makes a point of supporting the annual bash in South Africa's smallest racing centre. This year he's brought along the five-year-old Brazilian import Torro Rosso to contest the headline event, the R200 000 Flamingo Mile.This is an intriguing runner, for last year he looked headed for the very top of the local racing pile, having reeled off four victories from seven starts.Torro Rosso started as favourite to win the R1-million Charity Mile at Turffontein in October, but flopped in the race after rearing in the pens. That seemed to set him back and over the next eight months he showed nothing of his early form, finishing unplaced six times - albeit sometimes against strong opposition.Then, last month, he popped up with a comfortable win in a handicap at the Vaal, at odds of 8-1. Torro Rosso's rider that day was fast-rising young apprentice Callan Murray, who might have dug up the buried talent of the son of Elusive Quality.Most things considered, Torro Rosso should be an obvious winner and the outstanding bet of the day. He has Murray in the irons, has won on sand before, is well drawn and comes from a form stable that last week won the Gold Cup.The one doubt is that Torro Rosso's youthful successes have given him a burden to carry around the Northern Cape bushveld - specifically, an unwieldy 62kg. However, I think he is classy and fit enough to manage the task against fairly moderate opposition.Canny Joburg trainer Spike Lerena is taking consistent five-time winner Cumberland down for the day and it won't be just to check out the Big Hole.Locals Coerie Lensley and Sean Miller also have lively runners in Jaguar and Doctorow, which go into Trifectas and Quartets. Something at slightly longer odds might be Kingofmountain, who runs at the venue every second week and has won there seven times...