The Nathan Kotzen-trained Royal Victory is doing well in his preparation for the Grade 2 WSB Gauteng Guineas on February 4.
He is staying at Kotzen’s former guv’nor Mike De Kock’s yard.
He was ultra impressive in his last start when winning the Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes under S’Manga Khumalo in effortless fashion by 3,75 lengths
That was the first race in which he had worn blinkers.
Kotzen said the reason for the blinkers was due to a tendency he had developed of ducking in behind horses.
The Tony Ruffel was only the second win of Royal Victory’s career.
However, the Pathfork gelding finished runner up to the crack colt Cousin Casey in a Grade 2 and Grade 1 respectively as a two-year-old and then proved he will train on to be a top tier three-year-old by finishing third in the Grade 3 Allied Steelrode Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m and then fourth from a wide draw in the Grade 2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans.
He is a long-striding sort and Kotzen said jockeys who have ridden him believe he will stay as far as the Hollywoodbets Durban July trip of 2200m.
His sire Pathfork won a Group 1 over 1400m as a two-year-old, but he has produced the like of Marchingontogether, who has won three stakes races from 2400m to 3200m, although he is admittedly out of a Montjeu mare.
Royal Victory’s dam Kailani by Kahal won four times from 1450m to 1800m and is a half sister to the dam of No Worries, who was a narrow runner up to Vercingetorix in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and won up to 2400m.
So the pedigree gives hope Royal Victory will stay 2200m.
It is Kotzen’s hope that he is a July horse.
He looks to have plenty of scope and is the dark horse among the country’s three-year-old to emerge as a champion by the end of the season.
Royal Victory is owned by PJ Victor, BJ Wiese and Natasha Sturdy.
