After eventually getting going Royal Victory put up a fine gallop. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
Nathan Kotzen could make history on Saturday if Royal Victory wins the Hollywoodbes Durban July as he will join his brother Glen as a victor and they will beome the first set of brothers to have both won the country’s premier horse race, presuming that in the old days the like of E Murray was not a brother of Fred Murray’s and F Wade was not a brother of CE Wade’s.
Royal Victory drifted out after the official Hollywoodbets Durban July Gallops as he stood stock still at the 1600m mark and refused to budge.
However, Nathan pointed out he had pulled up a hunded percent sound after eventually getting going and explained, “His refusal to move had nothing to do with the blinkers having been fitted for the gallop. He’s won with blinkers on before, the reason I put them on was when he last won (in last season’s Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge), he twitched his ears and hung in when hitting the front. The reason I took the blinkers off for his racing was because when we stepped up to 2000m we thought he might over-race in them, but he doesn’t over-race, he relaxes. So it wasn’t the blinkers. If you take him up for a gallop and once he’s moving and you stop him, he won’t go. As they got to themile point at the Gallops the guys on the radio stopped him to let the other gallop finish first before they jumped away. And once he has been stopped he won’t go. That’s Royal. Even at home, it’s the same. If you stop him, he doesn’t want to go.”
Nathan continued, “Afterwards, I checked him out with a vet. I thought maybe he’s feeling something. Obviously, that’s the first thing that enters a trainer’s mind and some punters’ and pundits’ minds. I took him out at home with the vet and told the vet there might be something wrong here and to please check it and sort it out. The vet did so and said, ‘Nathan there’s nothing we can find.’”
Nathan continued, “I was happy with the gallop and he pulled up unbelievably well. Eric Fordred had a heart-rate monitor on him and I don’t know about those offiial times, they don’t seem to be right, because I said to Eric Fordred afterwards, ‘This horse didn’t seem to gallop too well?’ and he replied, ‘What are you talking about, he was fine. He was doing a good rate per furlong and, believe me, it was a very good time. I’ve done three horses in a day and your horse was much faster than the others.’”
Nathan has done a fine job keeping this horse sound over four seasons of racing.
Looking at the horses Royal Victory competed with when finishing a narrow second in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes as a two-year-old, none of them have reached the same heights as him and yet virtually all of them are no longer racing.”
Nathan said, “He has had little niggle here and there. But more, if anything, a little bit of foot problems more than knees and fetlocks and that type of thing and his back is a little sensitive at times, but otherwise he’s been a good sound solid horse. Dean Durrant is his farrier and he does a very good job.”
Nathan’s tried and tested method of giving Royal Victory one or two minor race outings in between big target races has worked well too and enabled Royal Victory to accumulate career stakes of R5,877,900 from 26 runs, including five wins and 14 place.
Nathan said about the five-year-old Pathfork gelding’s chances, “I think he’s definitely a runner. Last year he was a bit unlucky. The wide draw could play into our favour or it could play against us. There is a lot of speed on his inside. Muzi can just jump with them and slide in in behind them. Muzi is one of the best jockeys around from a wide draw.”
Nathan confirmed Royal Victory was not a horse that pulled or over raced.
There is also an omen about the draw of 17 as it is not only the birth date of Nathan’s late daughter, but also the birth date of owner Peter Victor’s late daughter and also the birth date of part-owner Sandy Arundel.
Muzi Yeni has also finished every position in the July from second to fifth, including third more than once, and an elusive victory is beckoning.
Royal Victory is one of three KZN-trained horses still standing in this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July.
They will all be attempting to be the first KZN horse to win the race since the Ricky Maingard Space Walk won the race on objection in 1994 or, put another way, they will all be out to become the first KZN horse to cross the line first in the July since the Dennis Drier-trained Spanish Galliard did so in 1992.
When they turn for home on Saturday one horse who will certainly find extra and be running on will be the reliable Royal Victory.
