King Pelles winning the Gold Cup last season (Picture: Candiese Lenferna Photography)
King Pelles is an under the radar horse for the Hollywoodbets Durban July who might just be fair value in the ante-post market at 20/1 with the sponsor.
He put up a good gallop at Hollywoobets Greyville on Saturday before the races and will be back there for the Hollywoodbets Durban July Gallops.
Trainer Gareth van Zyl said, “The gallop went well and he is doing very well.”
He is not having another race before the July as there is nothing suitable for him, so he will go into the race running off a merit rating of 122.
That means he will carry 59kg in the big race as things stand with Legal Counsel as the topweight on 62kg off a 128 merit rating.
Gareth said about King Pelles’ suitability to 2200m, “I don’t think it is going to be a problem, I think he will be alright over the trip.”
The Drakenstein Stud-bred five-year-old Duke Of Marmalade gelding is stoutly bred being out of a Galileo mare.
He is the reigning Gold Cup (3200m) Champion and the reigning Equus Champion Stayer.
However, he is derfinitely not a dour staying stype and when landing four Gr 3s last season over trips between 2400m and 3200m he showed an exceptional turn of foot.
He has also been shown this season to be effective over shorter trips with good performances over distances of 1200m to 1950m.
He was strongly fancied for the Betway Summer Cup over 2000m and disappointed, running a 16,25 length 12th.
However, a number of horses ran below par in that race on a day in which the humidity was high.
King Pelles bounced back after the Summer Cup to win the Umthombothi Stakes over 1950m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville. He showed a good turn of foot to win it by 1,30 lengths, despite carrying topweight of 62.5kg. Among the horses he beat was July entry Isivivane, who went on to win the Gr 3 WSB 1900. In the July he will be 1,5kg worse off with Isivivane for a 1,80 length beating, which puts King Pelles marginally ahead of him. King Pelles will also relish the step up to 22000m, a trip which will be new territory for Isivivane.
Followng the Umthombothi Stakes King Pelles ran in the Listed Kings Cup over 1600m and finished a fine 0,60 length seoond to Okavango recieving just 1kg. The lattter went on to run second in the Gr 1 wfa Premier’s Champions Challege before winning a Conditions Plate over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville in which he beat the like of Equus Horse Of The Year Eight On Eighteen and the crack three-year-old Note To Self, who is one of the favourites for the July.
King Pelles’ Hollywoodbets Durban July Gallop will be keenly observed by his supporters and he will provide his passionate owner Ravi Padayachee with a dream come true, a runner in the country’s biggest race in his hometown of Durban. The horse is not without a chance of winning it either.
Ravi owns King Pelles in partnership with Dave MacLean, Gary Player and N V Parmanand.
*In breaking news today it was announced Chad Schofield would be flying in to ride King Pelles in the Hollywoodbets Durban July
