The Nathan Kotzen-trained Betway Summer Cup winner Royal Victory was still available at 80/1 odds with the sponsor after the final field announcement for the big R5 million Gr 1 race.

However, that did not stop part-owner Peter Victor going public on his confidence.

That confidence was neither hopefulness nor misplaced bravado.

In fact listening to the facts behind the horse, the only real obstacle besides the usual factor of luck in running, was the travel to altitude.

And even then, if recalling five-times champion trainer Geoff Woodruff’s take on it, travelling from Summerveld to Turffontein is no big deal.

Woodruff pointed out in an interview about a decade or so ago that Summerveld was in actual fact about a third of the altitude of Johannesburg and the oft heard statement that KZN trainers were traveling up from “the coast” only actually applied to trainers based at the now defunct Clairwood training centre.

So the only real obstacle might have just been the travel itself.

Step in Nathan Kotzen’s loyal client Ted Hughes, who had traveled Royal Victory up to Johannesburg for his successful three-year-old campaign in his two berth horse float.

Nathan said about the float in an interview on Sunday, “Ted owned those two big horses Merlin From Berlin and Paybackthemoney, who were 17 hands so he had the float extended higher. You know what Ted is like with his vehicles, he wants everything perfect otherwise don’t do it at all. You can see by his fleet of trucks, they are immaculate. He has even got a camera so you can watch the horses when they travel. You could see they stood deadstill. That float doesn’t even move.”

The attention to detail that has won Nathan Kotzen’s former boss Mike de Kock 133 Gr 1s around the world was also evident in Nathan’s care for his charge.

They left Summerveld at two o’ clock in the morning on Friday to ensure cool conditions for the whole journey, arriving at a big Turffontein double box for the horse at quarter past nine.

They then meticulously looked after the horse’s every need.

So let’s look at the facts behind Royal Victory’s class and then wonder how he could still have been offered at odds of 80/1 by the sponsor after the final field had been announced.

In the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m he finished 0,90 lengths behind Cousin Casey in second place and he was second again to Cousin Casey in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m, beaten 2,10 lengths. He was  4,5kg better off with Cousin Casey in the Summer Cup than he was in both of those clashes.

As a three-year-old he was a 1,75 length third to Anfields Rocket in the Graham Beck over 1400m and was then a 2,50 length fourth in the Gr 2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans over 1600m. In January of his three-year-old year he won the Gr 3 Tony Ruffel over 1400m in effortless fashion by 3,75 lengths. It was a small field but he proved that was no fluke by finishing a shorthead second from a tricky draw of nine in the Gr 2 WSB Gauteng Guineas. He comfortably beat subsequent Summer Cup runners Electric Gold, Anfields Rocket, East Coast, Atticus Finch and Shoemaker in the Gauteng Guineas, some of whom carried more weight than he did in the Summer Cup and all of whom were shorter in the initial betting and in the betting after the final field announcement.

Royal Victory then ran a three length fifth in the Gr 1 WSB SA Classic.

At the weights of the Summer Cup compared to the form of that race he came out equal on paper with SA Classic winner Anfields Rocket and ahead of all of Billy Bowlegs, East Coast, Electric Gold and Shoemaker.

Now read part-owner Peter Victor’s recollections of the road to glory and it tells the story of why he had publicly stated his confidence.

Turf Talk shared some of the form and facts that gave Royal Victory a lively chance and ultimately tipped him to run third.

Nathan Kotzen, Muzi Yeni and Royal Victory deserve huge accolades for their shared asset of professionalism.

Picture: Hluhluwe gets the better of his stable companion Snow Pilot (far side) and Green With Envy stays on well for third (Picture: Wayne Marks)

All of Trainer Justin Snaith, owner Nick Jonsson, breeders Drakenstein Stud and stallion Trippi have a lively chance of landing South Africa’s probable most prestiguos three-year-old race, the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, for the second time in three years after the Drakenstein Stud-bred Trippi colt Hluhluwe came from last under Grant van Niekerk to win the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth under Grant van Niekerk on Sunday.

Jonsson and Snaith won the Cape Guineas together with Twice Over colt Double Superlative two years ago and last year’s winner was a Drakenstein Stud-bred Trippi colt, the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained superstar Charles Dickens.

Snaith got the exacta in the Punters Cup on Sunday with the two widest drawn horses, Hluhluwe and Snow Pilot, and the latter, a colt by Lancaster Bomber, is yet another Drakenstein Stud-bred homebred.

Jonathan Snaith had said about Hluhluwe’s and Snow Pilot’s chances last week, “Hluhluwe is drawn widest and will be ridden cold early on. He will finish powerfully which will set him up for a huge run in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas on 16 December. He’s improved considerably and could rival the Joburg contenders this season. Snow Pilot was still a little heavy last time out and will improve from that effort. JP Van Der Merwe will take up the ride. He’s drawn 9 but the race is on the summer course and he’ll have plenty of time and space to make his run. He is worth considering and could turn the tables on Questioning.””

The comments were remarkably accurate.

Grant van Niekerk’s and Justin Snaith’s post-race comments showed just how highly they regard Hluhluwe.

Grant van Niekerk: “There are certain things about certain horses, that when they give you a type of feel, you know how good they can be. But I’ve ridden so many horses that have given me that feel, but have disappointed, but he’s given me a phenomenal feel from day one. I wanted to ride this horse completely differently today, as he literally pulled me last time and still won. I wanted him to switch off and run on, and he did that with flying colours. I was a little bit out of my ground, and we didn’t go that fast as well. So I was a little bit worried, but it’s testament to just how good he can be, so really looking forward to the Guineas”.

Justin Snaith: “He’s the most gorgeous looking horse. He’s a finer version of Jet Dark . The work into today, was just mind-blowing. Grant was bullish. We were going to drop him out to the back of the field, as he was a little keen in his last start. We just want to bring him on for the Guineas and if he’s good enough he will come through. The whole race, Grant was just nursing him, nursing him. Obviously, there are 2 more big races for him this season, so we just need to be careful, because he’s still a very young, immature horse, but all the gears are there. We’ve been very excited about this horse for a long time, and we’ve just been trying to calm ourselves down. You just can’t beat the Trippi’s … they are just next level … found another one maybe!”

Mark van Deventer wrote the below report on the meeting for Cape Racing:

The betting market suggested that Tail of the Comet (7/10) and Questioning (3/1) would dominate the G2 Punters Cup at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday but as it turned out neither hit the first three in the 1600m showdown for ambitious three-year-olds coveting a tilt at the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.

Instead, Justin Snaith saddled a stable 1-2 as Hluhluwe at 14/1 came from dead last to nab 25/1 longshot, Snow Pilot. Another 20/1 outsider, Green With Envy also made a strong stretch run to be close by in third.

Sometimes too much can be read into a single race but this result changes the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas picture considerably. Tail of the Comet (5th by 2.75 lengths) and Questioning (4th, 2.75 lengths behind) appeared beaten with every chance in a race run at a muddling pace where the overall time was relatively tardy. Hluhluwe nevertheless belied his double-digit starting price to rush through the final 600m in 34.2 seconds and is now one of the principal contenders.

“We’ve been very excited about this horse for a long time, “declared a vindicated, Snaith afterwards. Indeed, Jockey Grant van Niekerk executed the intended “ride him cold and storm home’” tactics to perfection. Snow Pilot was very game a neck short in second, just unable to resist the surging finish of the son of Trippi who has now won four of eight starts.

Dean Kannemeyer, trainer of third horse, Green with Envy, was enthused by his charge’s back-to-best performance after a couple of lesser efforts at Hollywoodbets Durbanville. The Gimmethegreenlight youngster is still getting the hang of things but when he belatedly got the message, showed good determination and finishing zest.

Kannemeyer, who wasn’t convinced that Green with Envy was quite up to being a legit Guineas candidate going into the Cape Punters Cup, is now more buoyant about his prospects. The added racing experience and a galloping Hollywoodbets Kenilworth track duly portrayed Green with Envy in a favourable light.

The Bantry Bay Stakes over 1100m yielded a more punter-friendly outcome. Thunderstruck (backed from 4’s into 2/1 favourite) got the job done, despite drifting outwards in the drive to the line. The Sean Tarry trained/Richard Fourie-ridden colt was chased home by Surjay and both sprinters, as proven Grade 1 class competitors, are bound to enjoy productive summer campaigns in important races over the short cuts.

2023 Diadem Stakes victor Bereave stayed on to complete the trifecta with veteran, Rio Querari, not the force he once was but still running gamely, one- pacing it into fourth spot 2.65 lengths in arrears.

Enemy Territory also makes it onto Sunday’s highlight’s reel. The Canford Cliffs filly may have been carrying just 52.5kg’s but the visually impressive manner and 22.9 second 400-finish sectional in her victory in the Schweppes

Summer Bowl was notable. Enemy Territory is trained by Brett Crawford and was adeptly ridden by Gareth Wright.
Given her rate of progress, she is one to follow over the next few months, as is runner up Saartjie who stayed on well down the inner at a heartening comeback, four months after also finishing second to Bless My Stars in the Gold Bracelet in Durban.

10/1 shot, Future Variety took out the City Of Cape Town Sophomore Sprint (Listed) over 1200m – stalking the pace then pouncing to win under Morne Winnaar. 11/10 favourite Ready To Charge duffed the start which cost him, leaving an opening for Candice Bass Robinson’s entry to exploit.

The Milnerton based trainer saddled a stable exacta in this contest for three year olds, with closely matched companion, Captain Arrow running into 2nd, only half a length back.

Purple Pitcher produces a late burst to get up in the Gr 2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans under Kabelo Matsunyane (Picture: Michael Bega (The Citizen))

The Pedigree Obsessor

Saturday was a sweet day for a rising character of the game whose breathtaking swooping victory in the R650k Jonsson Workwear Dingaans over 1600m at Turffontein Standside with PURPLE PITCHER, now a 5 time a winner on the bounce, must have brought brought him an immense sense of satisfaction.

Rising because it is very noticeable how Mr Pooe has quietly continued to expand his horse string with modest purchases.

Character because his quiet controlled presence on the racecourse, and off it for that matter, is one of strikingly unique fashion.

The horse was a humble R170k purchase by Copper Eagle at the 2022 BSA KZN Yearling Sale out of the first draft presented by Bush Hill Stud by then Freshman Sire, now deceased, NEW PREDATOR (New Approach) x HELIANTHA (Count Dubois).

PURPLE PITCHER has been a bit of a surprise package to many, being an outcross (no common ancestors in the first 4 generations) and therefore escaped much of the conventional assessment that occurs today.

That horseracing contains many highly successful outcrossed horses is not a myth and well proven. Just last week the powerful Magniers of Coolmore parted with 6million Euro for an outcrossed broodmare named ALPINE STAR (See The Moon x Alpha Lupi by Rahy), who holds an 8 run – 3 win – 4 place record for GBP559.132.

In PURPLE PITCHER the promise the Sire showed before his untimely passing are well documented, whilst the credentials of the dam are less well known.

HELIANTHA was an under-performing 1 time winner over 1200m bred at Lammerskraal, trained by Justin Snaith and retired after mere 8 runs. By Count Du Bois x Tropical Garden (Roland Gardens). As a broodmare she has produced 7 foals, all winners, bar one, including the very good CHILLI CHOCOLATE (21 runs 5 wins 4 places) and the Gr 3 winner MISS DAISY (21 runs 5 wins 7 places), the latter also incidentally owned by Mr Pooe. That the Dam made it to the breeding paddocks seemingly originates not from her racing ability but rather based on the broodmare quality of the 2nd Dam who delivered 10 foals with 7 winners including the rather useful 1998 Majorca Stakes winner WILD ASTER. Even those credentials could be termed “paper thin” as a reason to breed with HELIANTHA however, as it turns out, it was a gamble that has paid relative dividends.

PURPLE PITCHER, as has ROYAL VICTORY with whose Stable Mr P is associated, delivered a fillip for relatively smaller owners, yards and breeders who continue to play a crucial role in delivering the industry into the future and without whom horseracing could never be the same.

More importantly, it is a case that supports believers that outcrossing does work.

Gerri Colombe (Picture: Mark Cranham (Racing Post))

Irish gelding has been backed for Kempton’s Boxing Day showpiece after setbacks for other contenders

At The Races

The Paul Nicholls-trained Kauto Star won the King George Chase fives times, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, ridden by Ruby Walsh on all five occasions.