The Real Prince becomes King

CAPE TOWN – In a thrilling four-horse blanket finish, The Real Prince prevailed by a nose over Questioning to win the 3 million rand (S$234,000) Grade 1 King’s Plate (1,600m) at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth in South Africa.

With this victory, The Real Prince, trained by Dean Kannemeyer and ridden by Craig Zackey, earned an automatic starting position into the US$2 million (S$2.57 million) Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile (1,600m) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races, the winners of which receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, scheduled to be held on Oct 30-31 at Keeneland racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky.

Earlier in the programme, three-year-old filly Wish List won the 1 million rand Grade 1 Paddock Stakes (1,800m) to earn a free berth into the US$2 million Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2,200m), and Kingdundee won the 1.5 million rand Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship (1,000m) to gain an automatic starting position into the US$1 million Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (1,000m).

Sent off at lukewarm odds of $64 (on the Singapore Pools tote) in a 14-horse field, The Real Prince, who won South Africa’s most prestigious race, the Grade 1 Durban July (2,200m) in 2025, broke well and settled into eighth place in the early going.

He saved ground along the rail while 2023-24 Equus Horse of the Year Dave The King (Ryan Munger) opened up a six-length lead heading into the far turn.

With a half-mile remaining, Zackey steadily worked The Real Prince into contention along the inside.

While Dave The King faded, Legal Counsel (Chad Little) briefly grabbed the lead, just ahead of Sail The Seas (Muzi Yeni), with long shot Questioning (Richard Fourie) poised in position on the outside.

But The Real Prince had the most fight of all and forged ahead to get his nose in front at the wire over Questioning. Former Cape Derby winner See It Again (Andrew Fortune) came on strong to finish third, followed by Sail The Seas.

In winning for the sixth time in 13 starts, The Real Prince, a son of Gimmethegreenlight, completed the mile in 1min 37sec.

While he had failed to score in two starts since his Durban July triumph, including a disappointing eighth to Dave The King in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes (1,600m) on Dec 13, Zackey said he never lost faith in his mount.

“It’s always easy to be confident after the race, but I was never discouraged,” said Zackey, who was at his second King’s Plate hurrah after claiming the prestigious race on Vardy in 2020 when the race was still named the Queen’s Plate.

“I was always confident he was the best miler in the country, and he worked really well. I was just looking for a bit of a spark.

“When I cantered him down, the spark came at the right time and I was just so confident on the way to the parade. I couldn’t have had a better run in transit, it’s mapped out for the best horse in the race.”

In the Paddock Stakes, Main Chance Farm’s Wish List, sent off at $54, exhibited a burst of speed along the rail in the final 150 metres to prevail by a length over Reet Petite (Fourie).

Ridden by Fortune and trained by Justin Snaith, the daughter of Legislate completed the 1,800m in 1:49.70.

In the Cape Flying Championship, Kingdundee ($59) led from start to finish, posting a three-quarters of a length victory for his fourth straight win.

Ridden by Calvin Habib and trained by Dean Smith, the five-year-old by The United States completed the race in 57.91sec.

This is the first year that the Cape Flying Championship is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. BREEDERSCUP.COM