King Pelles wins the big one to add to his other three Gr 3 staying race triumphs during the season. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
The Gareth van Zyl-trained Drakenstein Stud-bred four-year-old Duke Of Marmalade gelding King Pelles became the first horse in history to carry 60kg to victory in the country’s premier staying race, the Gr 3 World Pool Gold Cup over 3200m, and yet he went off as the short-priced 5/4 favourite and did not give his supporters many anxious moments.
There have been other topweight winners of this race, such as the David Payne-trained Icona in 1991 and the Anne Upton-trained Furious in 1980, but the topweight back then was 58kg.
King Pelles not only has a seemingly bottomless supply of stamina, but has class as well, because he is able to quicken superbly in the straight.
He had about five lengths to make up in the straight on Sunday and had a wall of horses in front of him and that would have been the only anxious moment his supporters had, because with topweight he suddenly looked to have a bit to do.
Before that he had lobbed along in his usual usual relaxed style.
His supporters were breathing again when a gap opened and would have been confident when S’Manga Khumalo pressed the button as he quickened well and even after having to be switched inward it was clear he was running on best of all.
His finish is resolute and he had reeled in the brave pacemaker Future Swing with 100m to go.
He was being eased at the line when his perennial runner up Holding Thumbs closed to within 1,20 lengths of him.
In recent years both Hermoso Mundo (Ideal World) and Future Pearl (Futura) did the unofficial stayer’s triple crown, by winning the three “Gold” stayer’s races, the Gold Vase over 3200m at Turffontein Standside, the Gold Vase over 3000m at Hollywoodbets Greyille and the Gold Cup over 3200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Those races are all Gr 3s these days, so King Pelles might have upstaged them by winning four Gr 3 races at three different tracks during the season.
Holding Thumbs finished second to him on every one of the four occasions.
King Pelles won the Gr 3 Glorious Goodwood Chairmans Cup over 2500m, the Tote Derby over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, the Gold Vase over 3000m and the Gold Cup on Saturday. The last three wins were done between 14 June and 27 July inclusive, which is a six week space, so Van Zyl did a fine job to have him in such fine shape for each one of the races.
Interestingly all of Hermoso Mundo, Future Pearl and King Pelles each lost a staying race in their victorious season.
In King Pelles’ case he lost by 2,45 lengths to the Justin Snaith-trained Mucho Dinero when finishing fourth in the Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers over 2800m on WSB Met day and interestingly he was receiving 2,5kg from Mucho Dinero, meaning he was 1kg worse off than weight for age with the latter at that time of the year.
Therefore, it was a pity Much Dinero was not sent to KZN for a staying campaign.
Snaith went close in the Gold Cup both last year and this year with Future Swing, beaten 0,90 lengths into fourth last year and 1,80 lengths into third this year, but it remains one of the only big Cape Town or Durban races that continues to elude him.
King Pelles provided a great day out for the owners, the Lucky Vest 12 CC (Nom: Mr Ravi Padayachee), Messrs D D MacLean, G J Player & N V Parmanand. Gary Player was away in Italy, but Ravi Padayachee and friends and family ensured the pink and blue coolours of King Pelles were prevalent on course in support of the horse.
