Questioning Lands A Plum Draw In The Gold Challenge

Questioning, pictured winning the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m last time out, should make a bold bid in the Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge (Picture: Race Coast))

The Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge to be run over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday June 6 has attracted a top class entry of 13 horses.

The Vaughan Marshall-trained Questioning (Querari) is in devastating form and deserves to land a wfa Gr 1. He proved in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate, when a short-head runner up to The Real Prince that he gets 1600m and he now has a plum draw of two as it stands.

Questioning has been made an ante-post 5/1 shot by Hollywoodbets.

The joint 28/10 favourites are the Justin Snaith-trained pair See It Again and Eight On Eighteen, which is somewhat surprising as both are at their best over further.

See It Again has drawn 9 and Eight On Eighteen 11 and Andrew Fortune and his son Aldo Domeyer have been booked for the respective rides.

Their stablemate, the WSB Met runner up Legal Counsel, has drawn well in 2 and Tristan Godden has been declared to ride.

The impressive Gr 1 wfa HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes winner Tin Pan Alley would be just about the one to beat on paper as long as he settled better than he did in the Gr 2 WSB Guineas over the same course and distance, in which he finished second to Star Major. However, the Sean Tarry-trained three-year-old has unfortunately drawn wide out in 12. He is priced up at 7/1.

The Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Dave The King is going for a third successive win in this race and has landed a good draw of four. However, the bookmakers have just about written him off following his King’s Plate, run when going too fast and fading, and his defeat last time in the race he had won for the previous two season over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, However, the De Kocks will surely have him right on the day and he can’t be given a worse ride than he was given in the King’s Plate.

The Stuart Ferrie-trained local hope Gladatorian has a tricky draw of 10. He was somewhat unlucky in third last year because he was flying at the finish and just ran out of racetrack. He is rated a 10/1 chance.

The Real Prince avoided this race to protect his Hollywoodbets Durban July weight. He gets the opportunity now to add to his Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate entry.