Nathan Kotzen has decided against running Royal Victory in the Pinnacle event on June 15 at Hollywoodbets Greyville as a prep for the big race on 6 July.
He said, “I can’t take a chance. We would be the highest rated horse going in to the race, but they could still end up giving me a point, you never know what the handicapper is going to do.”
Trainer Nathan Kotzen will not be running Royal Victory on 15 June at Hollywoodbets Greyville (Pic – JC Photos)
David Thiselton writes that Royal Victory is currently merit rated 125 and with the one point drop See It Again got for his third place finish in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, it means he will now have to carry 57kg in the Hoillywoodbets Durban July.
Nathan did not agree with the one point drop given to See It Again.
The handicapper awarded it because having given him a one point raise for his impressive win in the Gr 2 WSB Green Point Stakes, the horse has failed to confirm his rating of 132 in three subsequent runs.
However, Nathan pointed to See It Again’s Gold Challenge run being a comeback run, so was surprised he could be given a one point drop.
However, he said Royal Victory had been doing well and was not perturbed by him missing that race on June 15 and going in to the Hollywoodbets Durban July with just one run under the belt.
He pointed out, “We went in to the Premier’s with just one run.”
He has pointed out in the past that Royal Victory is not a horse who takes a lot of work to reach his peak.
His plan now is to simply give him a harder workout in the Hollywoodbets Durban July gallops than previously intended.
He will gallop the four-year-old Pathfork gelding with a companion on that day, Thursday 27 June.
Ask as to whom he felt were the dangers to Royal Victory in the July, Nathan replied, “Watching how Oriental Charm has been running and how he has come on, I would think he is one of our main dangers.”
