Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge (Grade 1)

MIKE de Kock and his son Matthew had the first Grade 1 success of their new training partnership at Greyville last Saturday, when Horse of the Year Dave The King repeated last year’s win in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge.

Callan Murray’s mount, who started 9/4 favourite, only just beat runner-up Oriental Charm by no more than a fifth of a length, while third-placed Gladiatorian was undoubtedly the unlucky horse of the race. He made up almost four lengths inside the final furlong, and was finishing so fast that he would surely have won in another few yards.

The might-have-beens were not what concerned the winning connections and de Kock junior said: “I feel very privileged to take out my South African trainer’s licence and have a horse like this waiting in the wings. It’s also a special group of owners (Larry Nestadt, Gary Player and Katie Ralphs).”

Mike added: “Dave The King is a serious animal and he has the name to go with it. He loves Durban and it’s even more special to have Matt and I as partners.” The Gary Player-bred, by the American stallion Global View out of a Jet Master mare, is not in the Durban July and seemingly will be aimed at a repeat of last year’s win in the Champions Cup.

Murray back on top

Last Saturday’s triumph was most important of all for rider Callan Murray who was winning a top-level race for the second week running to well-and-truly put behind him an unsuccessful and demoralising stint in Australia.

He reflected: “For the last couple of years, life has been hard and I am extremely grateful for the position I now find myself in - and indeed for the opportunities I have been getting. Dave The King usually puts things to bed around the 600-metre mark, but this time I had to wait until the straight.

“It got a bit close at the end but, if he had been able to get out and rolling, he might have put a margin on the others that would have been more difficult to peg back.”

Oriental Charm has been cut from 8/1 to 11/2 second favourite for South Africa’s most famous race. Eight On Eighteen heads the market at 5/2 and interestingly, Gladiatorian is a 22/1 shot! See It Again, currently quoted at 10/1, was only fifth last Saturday but he had a rough passage.