2024 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge Tips - Odds, draw and best bets for Greyville

Here's our free guide to the 2024 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, featuring our best betting tips.

The betting for Saturday's feature is topped by Main Defender, an impressive winner of the Horse Chestnut Stakes over a mile last time out. Dave The King kept on well to finish second in that Group One and also sits prominently in the betting, as does fourth-placed Cousin Casey.

David Nieuwenhuizen's top three-year-old, Sandringham Summit will be looking to bounce back from a narrow defeat to current Durban July favourite, Green With Envy in last month's WSB Guineas. Last year's Durban July runner-up, See It Again is on somewhat of a recovering mission, following two defeats so far this year.

Sean Tarry steps leading sprinter Lucky Lad up to a mile for the first time since a last-place finish behind Sandringham Summit in the 2YO Champions Stakes last July. Cape Guineas winner, Snow Pilot will be looking to build on a third-place effort behind Green With Envy and Sandringham Summit here at Greyville. 

Six-year-olds Al Muthana and Bingwa have drawn the two widest stalls, with Mike De Kock's three-year-old Gimmieanotherchance drawn on the inside rail. Itsrainingwilliam, Gladatorian and Royal Aussie also feature in the field. 

Three-year-olds may dominate this betting heat, but the younger horses haven't had everything their own way in recent years. Only three of the past 15 renewals of the Gold Challenge have been won by three-year-olds. A low draw, however, has proven important, with only three of the last 15 winners coming from gate eight or wider.

Main Defender and Sandringham Summit have 98-day absences to overcome, as both look to sharpen up ahead of potential tilts at the Durban July. See It Again hasn't been seen since a disappointing fourth in the Cape Town Met, and Mike Robert's star has landed an unfavourably wide draw, over a trip which could be on the sharp side.

I'm quite keen to side with DAVE THE KING (8/1), as there's still some each-way value at his current price. Mike De Kock's four-year-old ended his ten-race losing streak in the Pinnacle Stakes last month, where Muzi Yeni's mount powered to a convincing victory.

De Kock tried Dave The King over a variety of trips during that losing run. Following placed efforts in the WSB Guineas and the Daily News 2000, Dave The King finished a tame sixth in the 2023 Durban July, where he didn't relish the 11-furlong trip. Having lost his way over the autumn, De Kock's star returned to form with a fine effort behind Main Defender in the Horse Chesnut, before again finding a mile-and-a-quarter too taxing in the Premier's Champions Challenge.

Dave The King broke and travelled well from a wide draw in the Pinnacle Stakes, before kicking three lengths clear of the field down the home straight at Scottsville. A mile is clearly Dave The King's best trip and Yeni's mount has been drawn nicely to challenge on Saturday.