The Mike de Kock-trained Bold Silvano wins the July in the memorable season of the Football World Cup, 2010, under Anthony Delpech (Picture: Gold Circle).

In 2010 Mike de Kock inherited a promising three-year-old colt called Bold Silvano after the Cape Summer Season and this robust son of Silvano proved to be the perfect scopey sort of individual which the master trainer was able to bring the best out of.

Bold Silvano was bred by the Ascot Stud of Rose and Ashley Parker and went on to win the July for original owner Gill Thompson running in the colours of new shareholder and De Kock’s chief client at the time, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.

Now, once again after the Cape Summer Season, De Kock has inherited a big, scopey three-year-old colt and his name is Dave The King.

He is by Galileo sire Global View who stands at Ascot Stud, which is a coincidence some will have picked up, and he is entered in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

The big Gary Player Stud-bred colt made a fine debut for De Kock on Tuesday, winning a 1200m event on the Turffontein Inside course.

The 2010 July was in fact redemption for Rose and Ashley Parker, because they went desperately close to winning the July with their own horse Al Mufti in 1991. He had looked all over the winner but the Chris Snaith-trained Flaming Rock caught him on the line after producing a blistering finish from last to first under Karl Neisius.

An Al Mufti victory would have been one of the all time July fairytale stories.

After being acquired by Ascot and imported, Al Mufti covered a book of 50 mares in 1990, but the legendary champion trainer Terence Millard then persuaded the syndicate owners to give the six-year-old another chance at racing.

He won the first three races of his comeback and two runs later, in his final start before the July, finished fourth in the Listed Mainstay Trial. 

That saw him getting into the July with 53kg.

Al Mufti went on to become a Champion Sire and sire of a Champion Sire, Captain Al.

Incidentally, Rakeen, the first son of Northern Dancer to race in this country, finished third in that 1991 July, to make it a one-two-three for imports, and Dave The King is out of a dam by Rakeen’s  legendary son Jet Master.

Dave The King is currently 25/1 for the July with the sponsor.