Jack Milner
Royal Victory will begin his preparation for the Hollywoodbets Durban July at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Winner of two major Grade 1 races on the Highveld, the Betway Summer Cup and the TAB Premier’s Champions Challenge, both over 2000m on the Turffontein Standside track, will line up in Race 7, a Pinnacle Stakes over 1500m.
However, this is a warm-up for the big race over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 6 July, and Nathan Kotzen’s charge will probably be in need of the run.
The horse to beat is Mike de Kock-trained four-year-old Dave The King. While he has only won three races, all over 1200m, Dave The King displayed bags of class when not far off horses like See It Again and Charles Dickens at the highest level.
Dave The King is a strong frontrunner and while he has run well over extended distances, he is arguably much harder to catch over shorter. He will be looking to turn around the 4.25 lengths beating handed to him by Royal Victory in the Champions Challenge.
Capable Itsrainingwilliam is also in the race and having won his last two over 1400m in style will have his followers, especially as Justin Snaith has his yard in good form. So, with it not appearing to be a one-horse contest, Royal Victory may just prove to be a value proposition.
Glen Kotzen’s two-year-old, Commanding, may not. He is back in maiden company in Race 1, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m, after running in the Grade 3 City Of Cape Town Good Hope Nursery where he didn’t give of his best it seems, but nevertheless wasn’t far off and that kind of form could still be too strong.
His penultimate race, when fourth behind Little Ballerina in the Cape Slipper, has become potent form line with the race producing not just subsequent winners but horses that have won multiple races, including some that have gone on to win Graded events.
He finished fourth in that race and that should be too good for the field he meets on Sunday.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 7 Commanding, 9 Dapper, 1 Rich Folks Hoax, 11 Betty Mo
Race 2: 15 Hurricane Cat, 9 Laugh Till I Cry, 2 Cape Capri, 8 Take Note
Race 3: 8 Care Forgot, 5 Tipperary, 11 One Path, 1 Facile
Race 4: 2 Imposing, 4 El Rey Viene, 3 Dynalley, 7 Strathclyde
Race 5: 6 Bomber Girl, 9 Pritti Victory, 14 Reefway, 1 Shipholia
Race 6: 8 Teflon Man, 13 Plaza Accord, 14 Good Traveller, 12 Common Grounds
Race 7: 8 Dave The King, 6 Royal Victory, 2 Itsrainingwilliam, 9 Shoemaker
Race 8: 2 Every Cloud, 12 Querari's Dream, 11 Trusova, 1 Selukwe
BEST BET
Race 1: 7 Commanding
VALUE BET
Race 5: 6 Bomber Girl
BEST SWINGER
Race 1 7x9
BIPOT
R144
Leg 1: 7
Leg 2: 2, 8, 9, 15
Leg 3: 8
Leg 4: 2, 3, 4
Leg 5: 1, 6, 9, 14
Leg 6: 8, 13, 14
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 2, 9, 15
Leg 2: 8
Leg 3: 2, 4
Leg 4: 6, 9, 14
Leg 5: 8, 13
Leg 6: 6, 8
Leg 7: 2, 11, 12
PICK 6
R1512
Leg 1: 8
Leg 2: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
Leg 3: 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 14
Leg 4: 8, 12, 13, 14
Leg 5: 2, 6, 8
Leg 6: 2, 11, 12
JACKPOT 1
R504
Leg 1: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
Leg 2: 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 14
Leg 3: 8, 12, 13, 14
Leg 4: 2, 6, 8
JACKPOT 2
R216
Leg 1: 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 14
Leg 2: 8, 12, 13, 14
Leg 3: 2, 6, 8
Leg 4: 2, 11, 12