Top “Fresh” Trio To Clash In Champions Cup

Dave The King will be out to do the double-double (Candiese Lenferna Photography).

Equus Horse Of The Year Dave The King, Highveld Horse Of The Season Fire Attack and KZN dual Gr 1-winning stalwart See It Again will be the best of the “fresh” horses running in this year’s Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup and that means it is going to be a humdinger of a race.

The Champions Cup is viewed as a race which favours the horses who did not run in the Hollywoodbets Durban July i.e. the “fresh” horses, although the list of the last ten winners makes that theory refutable:

2015: Futura (ran in the July).

2016: Marinaresco (ran in the July).

2017: Sail South (fresh).

2018: Captain America (fresh).

2019: Rainbow Bridge (ran in the July).

2020: Golden Ducat (ran in the July).

2021: Jet Dark (fresh).

2022: Jet Dark (ran in the July).

2023: Princess Calla (fresh, although ran on July day in the Garden Province)

2024: Dave The King (fresh).

So the tally is 5-5 in the last ten renewals.

Dave The King does not run in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, because he does not say the trip and will be going for a double-double i.e. winning both the Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge and Gr 1 wfa HKJC Champions Cup for two seasons in succession.

Fire Attack had some minor issues that saw him missing the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and trainer Alec Laird had his doubts he would have run in the July anyway. He made a fine comeback from a three month layoff on Sunday, only just failing to catch Choisaanada in the Gr 3 4Racing Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m, despite giving the latter 3kg.

See It Again was a late scratching from the July due to an abnormal blood count. He has finished second and third respectively in the last two renewals of the Champions Cup and should make a bold bid in his first attempt at the race as a gelding.

Hollywoodbets Durban July winner The Real Prince is an entry, but Dean Kannemeyer when interviewed the day after the July felt he would be an unlikely starter .

Last year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Oriental Charm was one of the eight horses who traveled to this year’s July and they filled the last eight places, but that was reportedly after most of them were loaded in rainy and freezing conditions on the Highveld. He was a narrow runner up in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge and will make a bold bid if bouncing back.

The Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes winner and 0,35 length Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge third-placed Gladatorian ran in the July and is an entry in the Champions Cup.

On My Honour was one of the unluckiest horses in the Hollywoodbets Durban July as he got stuck behind a slow horse and was shuffled back, giving him too much to do in the straight. He would probably prefer this 1800m trip too.

L’Ormarins King’s Plate runner up Montien has had a most disappointing Champions Season, but at last he gets a good draw and he is interesting coming in fresh.

Rascova is one of two fillies entered, but this trip is beyond her best and she might be outgunned against the boys.

Madison Valley finished fifth in the July and has landed the same draw of two, but he is more likely to run in the Gold Cup.

The leading entry in the World Pool Gold Cup is King Pelles, who has already won three Gr 3 staying races this season.

Last year’s unlucky Gold Cup runner up Shoot The Rapids is also an eyecatching entry as is his Frank Robinson-trained stablemate Madison Valley and they have landed plum draws of two and three respectively.

Former Gold Cup winner Nebraas is entered and so is the twice runner up to King Pelles, Holding Thumbs.

The Gr 1 Mercury Sprint has a notable absentee, the three-time Gr 1-winning sprinter Gimme A Prince.

See the entries for the Champions Cup, Gold Cup and Mercury Sprint below: