The Real Prince is avoiding the Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, despite the fact he would have had a great chance of winning it, and is going straight into the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July. (Picture: Wayne Marks)
South African racings fans have been robbed of the best possible field in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, because some are avoiding it due to the fear of a merit rating hike that will have an effect on the weight they have to carry in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Furthermore, will all of the runners be going all out because some would prefer it to be a nice come on run for the July with no merit rating increases?
There was no concern about either scenario back in 2007, when one of the best fields this millenium lined up for the Gold Challenge at Clairwood and it was a memorable race as the legendary Pocket Power was baulked twice at the top of the straight before winding up into his devastating finish and failing by the bob of the nose to fetch Succesful Bidder.
It was the first time Durban fans had seen Pocket Power in the flesh and that was likely the race in which they accepted he was everything they said he was.
All 15 of the horses in the Gold Challenge that year went all out to win the race and no quarter was given.
The difference was that in 2007 the Durban July weights were set before the Gold Challenge.
There are some obvious problems as some will say a proven top horse could then come in to the July unfairly well weighted.
But surely it is better for that to to happen than for the same horse to skip the race and come in potentially well weighted anyway?
Some will say it would be unfair on the Daily News 2000 horses, who will continue to be weighted on the result of that race, and unfair on the Daily News 2000 race itelf, because perhaps some top three-year-olds would avoid that race at the expense of the Gold Challenge. However, as was seen this year, the Daily News 2000’s top horses are never likely to get much of a raise as they are already proven and some of the less exposed three-year-olds find it a useful race to qualify themselves for the July over their right trip.
The obvious horse that is relevant to this discussion is The Real Prince.
After the Drill Hall he looked nailed on for the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge as he is proven over a mile and was finishing like an express train over the Hollywoodbets Greyville 1400m trip and he was doing it in seemingly effortless fashion after being dropped out from a wide draw.
After much thought and discussion the Dean Kannemeyer yard have decided the Khaya Stable homebred Gimmethegreenlight colt will go straight into the July as that will ensure he carries a reasonable weight of 56,5kg as things stand.
This is a huge risk, because the close up family of the Real Prince is full of speed.
He is a full brother to the Equus Champion Sprinter Gimme A Prince.
His full sister Gimmie’s Countess has won a from 1200m to 1400m, including a Gr 3 over 1400m.
His mother The Real Princess (Trippi) won from 1100m to 1400m, including the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint.
The Real Prince’s grand-dam Pagan Princess won once over a mile and produced three Graded winners, including Cape Guineas winner William Longsword (Captain Al), but none of them won beyond a mile.
However, Pagan Princess was by stamina influence Fort Wood, which gives some hope.
The Real Prince’s third dam Dancing Flower (Dancing Champ) also gives hope because although her three wins were from 1400 to 1600m she was a producer of stamina with her progeny including Victory Moon (Al Mufti) (who won the UAE 2000 Guineas, the UAE Derby, was third in the Dubai World Cup and was an unlucky loser in the Gr 1 Coral Eclipse), Champion stayer Kelly (Flaming Rock) and Listed winner Flame (Ethique), who won from 1600m to 2400m.
Future Pearl who won the unofficial stayers Triple Crown and was Equus Champion Stayer, also descends from Dancing Flower.
Furthermore, Dean Kannemeyer has a two-year-old full brother to The Real Prince in the yard, whom he says is shaping as one who will ‘go a trip’.”
So there is hope The Real Prince will stay the July trip, but if he doesn’t there will be the lament that he was denied a real chance of winning a Gr 1 wfa Mile. On the other hand there will be more opportunities for him to win wfa miles, but there will probably only be another opportunity for him to be as well weighted in the July.
Nevertheless, it would have been fantastic for the public if he had lined up in the Gold Challenge.
He is not the only one to be avoiding the race.
Another one could be Royal Victory, who is full of class and effective over a mile.
There could be others too.
So as it happens some connections are avoiding the Gold Challenge to come into the July well weighted, but would it not be preferable to allow them to run in the Gold Challenge without their July weight being affected – in both scenarios they will come into the July well weighted but in scenario two Champions Season fans will have a Gr 1 weight for age mile that would probably be a better quality race than the L’Ormarins King’s Plate to look forward to.
Setting the weights for the Hollywoodbets Durban July before the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge is something the administrators should consider.
