See It Again, pictured after winning the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 last season, is top of the HDJ Log (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

There were no real surprises in the final Hollywoodbets Durban July log, which was published today (Tuesday, 11 June).

The one question could be how Shoemaker gets in to the final 20 ahead of Meridius, but it does look explainable with a closer look.

Shoemaker and Meridius have met three times this season. In their first meeting in the Gr 2 Allied Steelrode-Onamission Charity Mile Meridius beat Shoemaker by 0,75 lengths over 1600m, but he was receiving 2kg; in their next meeting in the Listed Richard Maponya Handicap over 1800m Meridius beat Shoemaker again, this time by 0,45 lengths and this time he was giving Shoemaker half-a-kilogram; then in a Pinnacle event over 1800m Shoemaker won and Meridius was a 1,25 length second, although Shoemaker was receiving 2kg from Meridius on this occasion;

So there is not much to separate them on their clashes.

However, on Sunday Meridius won a traditional Hollywoodbets Durban July pointer race, the Gr 3 Jubilee Stakes over 1800m.

This can be compared to Shoemaker’s second place finish in the traditional July pointer, the Gr 3  Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial over 1800m.

Furthermore, Meridius is now merit rated 113 and Shoemaker is only 111.

However, what might have swung it for the latter is he ran a decent fifth in the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m, beaten four lengths at level weights by Royal Victory.

This can be compared to Meridius’ only attempt at 2000m, in the Gr 1 wfa Premier’s Champions Challenge, in which he also faced Royal Victory at level weights and was beaten 19,25 lengths.

Son Of Raj, who is in 20th place on the log, was only a short-head behind Shoemaker in the Summer Cup when giving the latter half-a-kilogram and he finished a length behind Meridius in the Jubilee when giving the latter 4kg.

This former SA Derby winner did blot his copybook in the Premier’s Champions Challenge though, where he was beaten 27,25 lengths.

Hluhluwe, Hotarubi and Mucho Dinero were all in the top 20 on the first log, but all put in disappointing last runs. Hluhluwe and Hotarubi were beaten 6,80 lengths into sixth and 6,95 lengths into seventh in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 respectively, while Mucho Dinero was beaten 7,20 lengths into eleventh in the Gr 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial, although he was asked to do a lot after being dropped out to last from a wide draw.

All three have dropped out of the top 20.

Master Redoute, winner of the Gr 2 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers and a good 1,70 length third in the Gr 2 WSB 1900, has been shuffled upward from position 20 to 15.

Future Swing, winner of the Gr 2 WSB 1900, was in position 18 on the first log and has been shuffled up to position 14, while Without Question, who was third in the WSB Met, was in position 10 after his unplaced run in the WSB 1900, but has somehow been dropped down to position 16 without having run again.

Frances Ethel also dropped a few places down to 18th from 12th position after only managing fourth place in the Gr 1 Tabgold Woolavington 2000.

The log otherwise speaks for itself and is shown below.

One World is now just one short of equalling his father Captain Al’s freshman record of 22 individual winners.

The Vaughan Marshall-trained Maritzburg Memory won the third race today (Tuesday) at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m, and that made it 21 individual winnners for One World so far.

Maritzburg Memory is out of the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship winner Mighty High (Pathfork) and that must have prompted this filly’s name.

It would be fitting if Marshall is trainer of the one who gets the record, because he trained both Captain Al and One World.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly, One World has a chance of equaling the record with the Frank Robinson-trained Move To Prove, although this horse will have to show improvement on his first two runs in the first race over 1000m. He is in fact a 33/1 shot.

On Thursday the Corne Spies-trained One World filly Gloria Mundi is a 6/1 shot in the first over 1500m at Turffontein Inside and after an improved effort last time she is not without a chance in this maiden handicap.

One World has no chances to improve the record from Friday though the weekend.

The weekend is followed by a meeting at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Monday and one at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday. One World looks sure to have chances in those two meetings.

One World has a winners to runner percentage of just above 40% and he has had two stakes winners of three races.

Both of his stakes winners, One Stripe and Lion Rampart, are trained by Marshall.

It would be fitting if Marshall can send out a new One World winner next Tuesday to either equal Captain Al’s freshman record or break it.

One World is also on track to break Captain Al’s overall record of 30 individual two-year-old winners in a season, considering there are still seven weeks of the season left.

Royal Victory scores his second Gr 1 in succession in the World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge (JC Photos)

All eyes will be on WSB Met winner Double Superlative on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Greyville, where he runs in a Pinnacle Stakes races over 1600m, a race which Royal Victory was earmarked for but is now avoiding.

Trainer Nathan Kotzen gave his reasons for Royal Victory missing it.

He said, “I can’t take a chance. We would be the highest rated horse going in to the race, but they could still end up giving me a point, you never know what the handicapper is going to do.”

Ironically the best example to prove it is highly unlikely the handicapper would have punished him for winning comes from Royal Victory’s last start.

The 126-rated Dave The King beat the 125-rated Royal Victory by 3,50 lengths at level weights in that race and escaped any punishment, because the handicapper obviously decided Royal Victory would not have been at his peak for that race, which was his first since winning the Gr 1 World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge.

Royal Victory is still currently merit rated 125 and with the one point drop See It Again got for his third place finish in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, it means he will now have to carry 57kg in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

Double Superlative is merit rated 124, so will be carrying 56,5kg in the July as things stand.

Nathan Kotzen did not agree with the one point drop given to See It Again.

The handicapper awarded it because having given See It Again a one point raise for his impressive win in the Gr 2 WSB Green Point Stakes, the horse has failed to confirm his rating of 132 in three subsequent runs.

However, Nathan pointed to See It Again’s Gold Challenge appearance being a comeback run, so was surprised he could be given a one point drop.

However, he said Royal Victory had been doing well and he was not perturbed by him missing the race on June 15 and going in to the Hollywoodbets Durban July with just one run under the belt.

He pointed out, “We went in to the Premier’s with just one run.”

He has pointed out in the past that Royal Victory is not a horse who takes a lot of work to reach his peak.

His plan now is to simply give him a harder workout in the Hollywoodbets Durban July gallops than previously intended.

He will gallop the four-year-old Pathfork gelding with a companion on that day, Thursday 27 June.

Nathan, asked on whom he felt were the dangers to Royal Victory in the July, replied, “Watching how Oriental Charm has been running and how he has come on, I would think he is one of our main dangers.”

Meanwhile, Double Superlative was reported recently to be in a good space, although he has not run since his victory in the Met on January 27, so he will obviously benefit from Saturday’s run.

The second highest rated runner in Saturday’s Pinnacle after Double Superlative’s 124 rating is his 112-rated stablemate Triple Time.

Both Double Superlative and Triple Time are owned by Nick Jonsson.

Triple Time will only be receiving 3kg from Double Superlative, as opposed to the 6kg he would receive in a normal handicap, so it is unlikely the latter will be raised for winning in any event.

It is somewhat surprising to see Triple Time not lining up in the Gr 2 Tabgold Derby, but he would risk copping a raise if going close there, so perhaps the connections have the Gold Cup in mind.

The imposing Dave The King is still alert after his victory in the Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge. Mike de Kock has now won this prestigious race four times (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Dave The King  confirmed his high merit rating in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge and such was the ease of his win he was given one further point and is now merit rated 127.

All the changes from the weekend are explained below:

NHA Press Release: Handicappers’ Ratings Update

Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge (Grade 1)

DAVE THE KING was adjusted to a merit rating of 127 from 126 after emphatically winning the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge on WFA terms over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 8 June.  It was the runner up COUSIN CASEY who was considered to make for the most suitable line horse, which is the reason for his unchanged mark of 123.

COUSIN CASEY and DAVE THE KING have a lifetime of form with each other, in fact DAVE THE KING had beaten COUSIN CASEY at level weight terms on no less than four occasions over distances from 1400m, 1600m and 2000m prior to the 2024 running of the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge. So, it is indisputable that DAVE THE KING is superior to the 123 rated COUSIN CASEY on ability (merit). Despite this fact, many experts and commentators (anyone who has commented on this subject) alleged, prior to his win in a Pinnacle on 19 May 2024, that DAVE THE KING was overrated on a rating of 126 by virtue of him being a 3-time winner.  This shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the Merit Rating system that has been applied for the last 24 or so years.

SEE IT AGAIN, who failed to confirm the 1-point adjustment he received for his win in the Grade 2 World Sport Betting Greenpoint Stakes in his 3 subsequent performances was dropped that 1 point from 132 to 131.

5^th placed GIMMEANOTHERCHANCE was adjusted to 119 from 115 after he finished 1.65 lengths behind the 123 rated line horse, COUSIN CASEY, at WFA terms.

The only other horse to receive a drop in ratings was Al Muthana, who was dropped to 120 from 123.

East Coast Radio Tibouchina Stakes (Grade 2) 

DOUBLE GRAND SLAM remained on a rating of 118 after easily winning the Grade 2 East Coast Radio Tibouchina Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.  The Handicappers were unanimous in their view that the runner-up HUMDINGER made for the best line horse, which leaves her unchanged on a mark of 116.

There were increases for 3^rd placed BAVARIAN BEAUTY, who is up from 113 to 116 and 4^th placed GIMME A SHOT, who is up from 106 to 108.

HAPPY CHANCE and RIPPLE EFFECT were both dropped a point each from 113 to 112 and 106 to 105 respectively. 

Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial (Handicap) (Grade 3)

ORIENTAL CHARM has had his rating raised from 118 to 121 after winning the Grade 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial (handicap) over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.  It was 3^rd placed NARINA TROGON who was used as the line horse here, which leaves him unchanged on a rating of 100.

Interestingly, the winner was adjusted from 87 to 113 for his 3^rd place Grade 1 SplashOut Cape Derby finish, and then was adjusted another 5 points from 113 to 118 for his 2^nd place finish in the Grade 2 World Sports Betting 1900. ORIENTAL CHARM took the total of 31 points adjustment which was based on his performances and won the Hollywoodbets Cup Trail with a degree of ease. This win not only vindicates the Handicappers’ assessment of ORIENTAL CHARM but also vindicates the Handicappers’ assessment of GREEN WITH ENVY’s win in the Daily News 2000. ORIENTAL CHARM will now meet GREEN WITH ENVY on correct Handicap terms (3kg pull at the weights) based on their meeting in the Grade 1 SplashOut Cape Derby where GREEN WITH ENVY beat ORIENTAL CHARM by 3.25 lengths.

SUNDANCE KID, who was a full 9 points under sufferance in this benchmarked handicap, was adjusted by 6 points from 91 to 97, having finished 3 points in margin behind the line horse NARINA TROGON.

There were ratings’ drops for three horses.  NAVAJO NATION was dropped from 110 to 108, NOBLE CITY was dropped from 107 to 105 and SOVEREIGN STATE was dropped to 102 from 104.

Jubilee Stakes (Grade 3)

MERIDIUS was adjusted to a mark of 113 from 110 after winning the Grade 3 Jubilee Stakes over 1800m on the standside track at Turffontein on Sunday 9 June.  3^rd place finisher SON OF RAJ was used as the line horse here, hence his unaltered rating of 119.

The specific conditions of this race do not allow for any ratings increase for any horse beyond the winner and accordingly there were no other increases to ratings in this event.

There were rating drops for three horses.  PYROMANIAC dropped from 100 to 99, STREET ART dropped from 109 to 108 and lastly EYE OF THE PROPHET dropped from 112 to 108.

Enquiries:

The Handicapping Team

Warren Kennedy (ALAN LEE/PHOTOSPORT file photo).

Warren Kennedy is going to have to pull out all the stops to win the New Zealand premiership, which he has been leading for a long time.

The reigning champion Michael McNab, who is going for a third successive NZ premiership, has closed to within three wins of Kennedy.

Kennedy is the leading stakes race achiever in the country having won 17 Graded and Listed events compared to the 15 of Joe Doyle and 12 of Opie Bosson.

Mcnab is low on this stat with only five stakes wins.

However, McNab has a better strike rate than Kennedy.

He is winning at a rate of one win for every 5.58 rides, while Kennedy is at one win for every 6.03 rides.

Both riders are engaged to ride on Wednesday at Cambridge and on Thursday at Riccarton Park, where Warren has six rides and five rides respectively and Michael has seven and eight rides respectively.

Warren had a double on Saturday at Ruakaka, which helped him open the lead to three as Michael had a blank.

However, it would appear McNab is getting more rides at present, which is going to make it a tough run in.

Trippi T (nearest) will be out to end a sequence of seconds (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Jack Milner (Tab4Racing)

Trippi T has been costly to follow if bettors have been going for him to win but for those who like to take Swingers, Trifectas and Quartets, Andre Nel’s charge has been a godsend.

He is four years old and still a maiden, but in truth he was off the track for an entire year so he must have had certain issues.

All of his early runs were in the Western Cape but since returning to racing in January, the son of Trippi, while not winning, has run three consecutive second places in KwaZulu-Natal.

Interestingly, his first run after being out of action from January 2023 was on the Polytrack at Hollywoodbets Greyville where is finished a 0.30-length second behind Victor Rail.

Trippe T then had another short break and then returned for two runs over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, finishing second in both, 0.30-lengths behind Lightning Jimmy in the first and 1.80 lengths behind Chieftain last time.

He returns to Polytrack in Race 1 on Wednesday, a Maiden Plate over 1000m, and this could finally be his moment in the sun.

This will be his third run after his second layoff and Trippi T should be perfectly primed for this event.

Calvin Habib, who has ridden him in his three races in KZN, is back in the irons once again.

The obvious danger is Helsinki who is a year younger, but Paul Lafferty’s charge also has his issues. Firstly, he will be having his 16^th run, almost double that of Trippi T, without a win and secondly, he will be coming down in distance.

One has to go back almost 11 months to find the last time he raced over 1000m, the rest of his races have been predominantly over 1400m and 1600m. He does have a better though and has Muzi Yeni up.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 8 Trippi T, 1 Helsinki, 4 Record High, 3 Bomber Stream

Race 2: 4 Full Of Magic, 7 Pantea, 10 Fashion Mistress, 9 Perfect Trust

Race 3: 7 Savantrix, 6 Voldemort, 5 Parmenion, 3 Licence To Thrill

Race 4: 6 National Dream, 4 Tom’s Act, 8 San Marzano, 7 Tin Cup

Race 5: 6 Wyatt’s Choice, 1 Madison Valley, 7 Send Me, 2 Riccardo

Race 6: 5 Green Valkyrie, 3 Pretty Analia, 7 Purple Flower, 2 Global Secret

Race 7: 6 Kumemori, 4 Dynalley, 8 Royal Swan Master, 7 Zakho

Race 8: 5 Bally Magic, 3 Final Destiny, 10 Victor Rail, 2 Forest Jump

BEST BET

Race 1 No 8 Trippi T

VALUE BET

Race 2 No 4 Full Of Magic

BEST SWINGER

Race 1 1×8

BIPOT

R216

Leg 1: 8

Leg 2: 4, 7, 9, 10

Leg 3: 5, 6, 7

Leg 4: 4, 6, 8

Leg 5: 1, 6

Leg 6: 3, 5, 7

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R324

Leg 1: 4, 7, 10

Leg 2: 5, 6, 7

Leg 3: 4, 6

Leg 4: 6

Leg 5: 3, 5, 7

Leg 6: 4, 6

Leg 7: 3, 5, 10

PICK 6

R1620

Leg 1: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Leg 2: 4, 6, 8

Leg 3: 1, 6

Leg 4: 3, 5, 7

Leg 5: 4, 6, 8

Leg 6: 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11

JACKPOT 1

R54

Leg 1: 4, 6, 8

Leg 2: 1, 6

Leg 3: 3, 5, 7

Leg 4: 4, 6, 8

JACKPOT 2

R108

Leg 1: 1, 6

Leg 2: 3, 5, 7

Leg 3: 4, 6, 8

Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11

At the age of seven on June 11, 1994, the gallant Pas De Quoi made it a second successive Gr 1 in the Schweppes (Gold) Challenge at Clairwood as he was coming off a win in the Met and a second in the Gr 1 Drill Hall Stakes. A tragic incident might have robbed this horse of being one of SA’s all time greats, but he still ended his career a four-time Gr 1 winner and he is also remembered as one of the July’s unluckiest losers.

Read the amazing story of Pas De Quoi below:

Mark Anthony (sahorseracing.com) CLICK HERE TO READ THE ORIGINAL STORY

The story of Pas De Quoi is a poignant mix of triumph and tragedy. By the time of his retirement, he had achieved much more than the average racehorse can ever hope to: he went to stud as a multiple Group 1 winner, having proven himself one of the very best of his generation. Yet, there was a sense of destiny unfulfilled; that his career could have been even more impressive, had a cruel fate not intervened to cost him what should have been the best years of his racing life.

Pas De Quoi belonged to a truly vintage crop. He was foaled in the same year as such top class performers as Ilustrador, Flaming Rock, Olympic Duel, Spanish Galliard, Face North, Divine Master and St Just: a group of horses who between them won just about every big race in the country. At one stage, though, Pas De Quoi was poised to be the best of them all.

A son of Roland Gardens out of the unheralded Anono mare Merci Beaucoup, Pas De Quoi made a winning debut in August 1989 over 1000m at Kenilworth. He then quickly worked his way through the lower ranks and on New Years Day in 1990 he won the 1600m Administrators Challenge Cup – one of the key trials for the Cape Guineas – to record his fifth successive victory, beating future J & B Met winner Divine Master.

By now there was a huge buzz in the Cape around this striking colt. It was still early days, of course, and it is always dangerous to hype a horse before he has properly proven himself, but it was not unrealistic to hope that here was a successor to the likes of Sea Cottage, In Full Flight and Politician. Pas De Quoi had not won his races by huge margins, but there was just that certain something about him, the effortless way he quickened when asked and the uncomplicated authority with which he imposed himself on his races.

There were huge expectations, therefore, when he lined up for the Cape Guineas at the beginning of February, in a race that his fans hoped would see him anointed as the next superstar of South African racing. Sent off a 17/10 favourite, he was not the only unbeaten horse in the field. Northfields colt Face North had won all three of his races and he was well enough backed at 6/1 to indicate that he was also considered a serious big race prospect. There was one crucial factor which would turn out to be decisive: Pas De Quoi was drawn 15 in a field of 16.

In the race itself, jockey Eric Chelin was unable to get the favourite across from his outside stall and was forced to race wide the entire way. Having been handy throughout, Pas De Quoi moved forward strongly in the straight, but Face North was travelling just as well along the rails, having enjoyed a dream run. The two fought out a rousing finish, but Pas De Quoi had simply expended too much energy early on and against a horse of Face North`s ability, it was too much of an advantage to concede. Face North held him off grimly in a tight finish to maintain his own unbeaten record and bring an end to Pas De Quoi`s. Despite the dreadful disappointment of defeat, the Pas De Quoi camp could remain defiant: make no mistake, Face North was a top class colt and would later win the Mainstay 1800 to prove his class, but there is little doubt that the draw had deprived Pas De Quoi of victory in the Cape Guineas. To many observers, therefore, Pas De Quoi had actually turned in his finest performance to date, albeit in defeat.

A month later, Pas De Quoi reappeared in the Cape Derby over 2000m where, somewhat surprisingly, he was not sent off the hot favourite that one might have expected. This was due to the presence of his unbeaten stablemate Jubilee Creek, who had shown from his juvenile days that he was looking for a bit of ground and had already won over this trip. Pas De Quoi, by contrast, had never raced beyond a mile and there were the inevitable stamina doubts. The two went off joint favourites at 22/10, but the race itself was a one-horse affair. Once Pas De Quoi was asked for his effort in the home straight, he cruised into the lead and won unextended by over three lengths. It was a hair-raising performance and such was the sheer class that he oozed that there must have been many in the crowd – and a number of television viewers as well – who were convinced that they were watching the future July winner in action.

Pas De Quoi claimed a significant victim in this race, although nobody knew it at the time: well beaten back in fifth place was relative unproven Argentine-bred named Ilustrador.

With Pas De Quoi having made up somewhat for the disappointment of the Cape Guineas, his future campaign was eagerly awaited, not least in KwaZulu-Natal where he was expected to be one of the star attractions of the upcoming winter season. He never made it to Durban that year. Not long after the Cape Derby, a horrifying piece of news rocked the racing fraternity. A vindictive groom, apparently taking revenge for having been dismissed, made a vicious attack on Pas De Quoi, slashing his legs and seemingly putting an immediate end to his career. Thankfully, the horse himself was saved, but it was a gross display of inhumanity that evoked memories of the shooting of Sea Cottage some 25 years earlier.

The winter season turned out to be a thrilling one, with Ilustrador proving the star turn with his remarkable sequence of big race wins from 1200m to 3200m, the highlight of which was the Rothmans July. The mind boggles – and the mouth waters – at the thought of him and Pas De Quoi having clashed at their peak. Racing was thus denied what might have been one of the all-time great rivalries of the turf.

Pas De Quoi returned to the track much quicker than initially expected: in late September 1990, after nearly seven months on the sidelines, he made a superb comeback over 1200m, beating the decent sprinter I`m Me. Hopes immediately flared that he had gotten over his injuries and that he was pretty much the same horse as before. However, it was a false dawn and the rest of his career would be a stop-start affair as he never regained full soundness and would spend plenty of time off the track.

The immediate future seemed promising enough though: his next start, in November was disappointing when narrowly beaten by Our Knight over 1900m, but that could be ascribed to the second-run-after-a-layoff syndrome. At the end of December 1990, Pas de Quoi took his place in the Queens Plate, a race which at one time had looked a natural prize for him. He had to settle for fourth, but considering he was beaten by horses of the calibre of Flaming Rock and Olympic Duel, it was hardly a disgrace and at least it showed he was still competitive in the big league.

Unfortunately, his troubles were about to recur and after this he had to be laid off for nearly a year.

He reappeared towards the end of 1991, ran a promising trial for the Queens Plate when third over 1200m but broke down in the Queens Plate itself. This time, he was off the track for 18 months and when he reappeared, things did not go as well as hoped. In six runs from July 1993 to New Years Day 1994, he only managed one place – a perfectly respectable second in the Champion Stakes at Greyville. He looked a pale shadow of his former self in the rest of his races, though, and the general consensus was that he had shot his bolt and his chance at greatness had long been lost. It seemed a perfect illustration of the old adage that injured horses don`t come back.
With this in mind, the 7-year-old Pas De Quoi was unsurprisingly sent off a 20/1 outsider for the 1994 J & B Met at the end of January. To outside observers, it must actually have seemed a pointless exercise to keep this once-promising horse in training and it is fair to say that many, if not most, in the crowd had long since forgotten the brilliance he had shown four years earlier in his classic season.

What followed was simply unbelievable. Master jockey Garth Puller gave the old warrior a typical Puller ride, turning for home last, some sixteen lengths off the leader. Gauteng raider Waitara who had been brilliantly prepared for this race made a bold bid for victory and looked a certain winner inside the final furlong. Suddenly, Pas De Quoi, showing the verve of a horse half his age, stormed up on his outside. Still, it looked as if Puller had left it too late, but in a breathtaking finish, the pair somehow got their noses in front to edge out the luckless Waitara. It was an incredible performance and in many ways it was the crystallisation of the dreams his fans had had when watching him win the Cape Derby over the same course and distance all those years ago.

The big question was whether the Met win had been a fluke and Pas De Quoi quickly settled those doubts when sent to Durban for the winter season. He kicked off with a storming run in the Drill Hall Stakes where, despite racing over a too-short 1400m, he flew up late to be touched off into an unlucky second place.

Next up, he contested the Schweppes Challenge and was well supported as he was bound to enjoy Clairwood`s 1600m. He quickened well when asked by Gavin Howes and fought on gamely to beat Queens Plate winner Take A Walk and the great miler Flaming Rock who had won the three previous runnings of this race and was still very much a force to be reckoned with.

Now the ultimate bid for glory beckoned: the July itself. It would be the ultimate fairytale if, after all he had endured in the past, he could win the biggest prize of all. As it turns out, the 1994 July turned out to be one of the most unfortunate and unsatisfying runnings of SA`s greatest race. US-bred Surfing Home who, like Pas De Quoi, had spent ages on the sidelines after being injured, set off at a strong gallop and continued to roll on gamely in the straight. Pas De Quoi, with Garth Puller back in the irons, had been perfectly placed just off the early pace, moved up promisingly in the straight and could visibly be seen to quicken in response to Puller`s urgings. At this point, disaster struck: Surfing Home, veering off a straight course, baulked Pas De Quoi causing him to check severely. In a flash, his chances had disappeared and although he rallied as best he could, Pas De Quoi had to settle for fifth, beaten less than three lengths as Surfing Home fought on courageously to win by a neck from fast-finishing outsider Space Walk..

It was clear from a single look at the replay that the interference had been material and that Surfing Home would be penalised accordingly. The inevitable objection that followed was upheld and Surfing Home was demoted to fifth. It was a cruel irony that Surfing Home and Pas De Quoi reciprocally ended each others bid for July glory. Both were tough and classy horses who had battled incredible odds to get back to the top of the tree. In a further – and much happier – twist of irony, Surfing Home would later redeem himself by winning the following years J & B Met.

While nobody could argue with the fairness of the July objection based on the video evidence, would Pas De Quoi have won with a clear run? It`s impossible to say and pointless to speculate, but he seemed to be unleashing a very powerful run when he was checked and there is a very strong chance that he would have not merely won, but done so quite convincingly had he not been blocked.

The July must have been a bitter pill to swallow for Pas De Quoi`s connections, but there was still a chance to bow out on a winning note. On 13 August 1994, the now 8-year-old turned out in the Champion Stakes for his final fling. The field was very weak and he merely had to run to form. As usually happens when there is a small field, Pas De Quoi did not have it all his own way and suffered a scare from the game Crystals Garter, who pushed him all the way to the line. Afterwards, there was relief that Pas De Quoi had not fluffed his lines and he could head off to stud on a high note.

It speaks volumes for Pas De Quoi`s ability that despite landing four prestigious Gr 1 events, he is still considered a “nearly horse” and one who actually underachieved. At least, though, his late burst of glory in his final season ensured he would get at least some of the recognition he deserved. Due to his problems and his patchy mid-career form, the bare statistics do not make for fantastic reading, as he notched up too many unplaced runs and was beaten too many times to be considered a champion in the conventional sense. But look beyond the numbers and examine his career in its proper context and a different picture emerges. For this scribe at least, Pas De Quoi will be remembered as not merely a good horse, but rather as a great one. The J & B Met boasts so many outstanding winners on its roll of honour. The name Pas De Quoi is not out of place in such illustrious company.