The R1,5 million HKJC Champions Cup is the final Grade 1 event of the 2023/24 season and has attracted a field of ten, including nine Hollywoodbets Durban July runners, for a vintage clash on Sunday 28 July.
The season finale at Hollywoodbets Greyville will be run as the eighth race (16h50) on a bumper ten-race card that gets underway at 12h05.
The race was won in 2023 by Richard Fourie piloting SA Horse Of The Year Princess Calla, who has since been exported to the USA. There is no fairer sex representative this time round.
Royal Aussie (Richard Fourie in pink) holds off an unlucky Cousin Casey (Smanga Khumalo) with Gladatorian (Sean Veale, gold cap) in third in the Drill Hall Stakes (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
While the Hollywoodbets Durban July runner-up Cousin Casey looks overdue to get back to winning ways from a pole-position gate and give Sean Tarry a double and his third victory in the race since Buy And Sell opened his account ion 2008, the son of Vercingetorix faces stiff opposition from Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge winner Dave The King, who runs fresh under the rampant Richard Fourie – the latter aiming at a third consecutive score after Jet Dark triumphed in 2022.
Piere Strydom and See It Again had no luck in the July, and will jump from the widest gate as the pair bid to break a four-run losing streak since victory in the Green Point Stakes in early December 2023.
Other KZN hometown hopes Flag Man and Royal Victory add to the mix, with reigning SA Champion Jockey Keagan de Melo back to partner Double Superlative.
1st R937500, 2nd R300000, 3rd R150000, 4th R75000, 5th R37500
THE HKJC CHAMPIONS CUP (Grade 1)
Horses at Weight-For-Age
WFA: 2yrs-10.5kgs 3yrs-1.5kgs
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 1 | 1 | Cousin Casey | 60 | 125 | A | S’manga Khumalo | Sean Tarry | |
| 2 | 2 | Double Superlative | 60 | 124 | A | Keagan de Melo | Justin Snaith | |
| 3 | 3 | Purple Pitcher | 58.5 | 120 | A | Calvin Habib | Robyn Klaasen | |
| 4 | 4 | Winchester Mansion | 60 | 124 | CA | Kabelo Matsunyane | Brett Crawford | |
| 5 | 5 | Barbaresco | 58.5 | 122 | Ae | Gavin Lerena | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 6 | 6 | Flag Man | 58.5 | 126 | A | Serino Moodley | Gareth van Zyl | |
| 7 | 7 | Hluhluwe | 58.5 | 116 | A | Grant van Niekerk | Justin Snaith | |
| 8 | 8 | Royal Victory | 60 | 125 | A | Muzi Yeni | Nathan Kotzen | |
| 9 | 9 | Dave The King | 60 | 127 | A | Richard Fourie | Mike de Kock | |
| 10 | 10 | See It Again | 60 | 131 | BA | Piere Strydom | Michael Roberts | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (2,7) | ||||||||
