King Of Pain landed a 40/1 upset in the G1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Clairwood on Saturday to earn a likely spot in next month's Vodacom Durban July.
Betting for the Gold Challenge was dominated by champion mare Beach Beauty, Yorker and Capetown Noir, the three highest rated horses in South Africa.
Capetown Noir, who won the G1 L'Ormarins Queen's Plate earlier this year, was eventually sent off favorite ahead of this season's triple G1 winner Yorker and Beach Beauty.
But they couldn’t catch King Of Pain, who was immediately sent to the front by jockey Bernard Fayd'Herbe and set a slow pace until well into the long home straight.
Beach Beauty and Yorker ran home strongly but were safely held by three quarters of a length. Beach Beauty was runner-up for the second year in a row with Yorker a length away in third.
Capetown Noir was a well-beaten fourth.
Fayd'Herbe, who has ridden the winner in 13 of his 20 career, delivered a third successive win in the Gold Challenge for King Of Pain's trainer Joey Ramsden after he sent out champion Variety Club to win in 2012 and 2013.
Ramsden missd the win as he was at Epsom Downs in the Uk for the English Derby.
King Of Pain had not raced since February due to a foot injury. He has won seven of his 20 starts, with his earlier victories including the G2 Selangor Cup and G2 Langerman but had failed in four previous G1 attempts.
The Geoff Woodruff-trained Yorker, South Africa’s highest rated male performer, seems certain to be running in the Vodacom Durban July after his Gold Challenge third.
He did not be go into quarantine on June 8 with a shipment of horses that will travel from South Africa to Dubai via Mauritius.
Yorker was considered for inclusion in that shipment before Woodruff decidedon keeping him in South Africa for the time being.
Following the second declaration stage Yorker retains his top spot on the Durban July log ahead of the Daily News winner Legislate.
His stable companion Louis The King holds third spot followed by Capetown Noir and the Woolavington winner In The Fast Lane.
Weights for the Durban July will be published on June 10 with final declarations due on June 23.
