Jack Millner
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer won his fourth Hollywoodbets Durban July on Saturday when The Real Prince ran down 2-1 favourite Eight On Eighteen to claim the Grade 1 race over 2200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
Perfectly timed by jockey Craig Zackey, The Real Prince closed in late on Eight On Eighteen who hit the front some 300m from home under Richard Fourie.
The pair did battle over the final 100m but although fighting on gamely, the three-year-old eventually had to concede the R5-million race to The Real Prince by a neck.
Third place went to Selukwe (17-2) ridden by Serino Moodley and trained by Andre Nel while Royal Victory (20-1) once again ran an honest race to finish fourth under Muzi Yeni.
The four-year-old son of Gimmethegreenlight had been quietly fancied by his connections and went off at 14-1. Many pundits felt he would not see out the distance as he had not run beyond 1600m.
While they all got out of the stalls quickly, once they had gone 300m the pace slowed down and last year's winner, Oriental Charm, went to his customary place at the head of the field. That slow pace would also have suited The Real Prince but perhaps less so Eight On Eighteen who Fourie kept much closer to the leaders.
Once they hit the straight Fourie wasted no time sending the favourite to the front and he looked to have the race in the bag. But all the while Zackey was starting to make his move, switching his mount off the rail and producing him in the centre of the course. .
It was Zackey's first win in the country's premier race while Kannemeyer had taken the honours with Dynasty in 2003, Eyeofthetiger in 2006 and Power King in 2015.
Power King was owned by Khaya Stables' Lady Laidlaw as is The Real Prince.
"I'm very happy for Lady Laidlaw," said Kannemeyer. "She's been a great supporter of my yard and this is the second July winner I have trained for her.
"This family has treated me so well. Real Princess (dam of the winner) was a top-class filly and her first foal was Gimme A Prince, Champion Sprinter in this country, The Real Prince is the second foal.
"He won by six lengths when tried over 1600m. He's a very relaxed horse and we were banking on that fact that he would see out 2200m."
Zackey was expected to win last year's race for Kannemeyer on Green With Envy but things did not work out. However, it all came right this year. "Green With Envy did not have the best of preps because after the Daily News he got injured and it felt like we were carrying the world on our shoulders, and the pressure just got to both of us.
"This year I knew The Real Prince was the best horse in the race and if he stayed, I knew he would win it."
Selukwe looked dangerous at one point but in the end proved no match for the first two, and was beaten 2.65 lengths.
Immediate Edge was up with the pace from the off but had little in the tank shortly after turning for home. "I think he had every chance," said jockey Callan Murray. He did suffer interference in the straight but he had already run his race by then."