The Real Prince crowned South Africa's new star with victory in Durban July

South African breeding has a new queen with The Real Prince dispelling stamina doubts to win the Grade 1 Durban July Handicap, the country's premier all-age race, and in the process became his dam's second top-level winner.

The four-year-old gelding is out of Grade 1 winner Real Princess and his victory was a triumph for Lady Laidlaw's Khaya Stables, owner-breeder of The Real Prince and his older full-brother Gimme A Prince who is a triple Grade 1 winner. He is also the 13th individual Group/Grade 1 winner by Varsfontein Stud's Gimmethegreenlight, an Australian-bred son of More Than Ready.

Gimmethegreenlight was champion three-year-old in South Africa and is a half-brother to Group 1 Coolmore Classic winner Ofcourseican, dam of Group 3 The Bart Cummings winner and Group 1 Caulfield Cup third Persan.

Real Princess, dam of The Real Prince, was purchased by Form Bloodstock's Jehan Malherbe who is racing manager to Lady Laidlaw for a sale-topping RZ2,700,000 at the 2013 Cape Premier Yearling Sale. The daughter of Trippi won the Grade 1 South Africa Fillies' Sprint in the yellow and black of Khaya Stables and was trained, as are her Grade 1-winning sons, by Dean Kannemeyer.

Kannemeyer, who was winning the Durban July for the fourth time in his career, spoke to Gallop TV in the winner's enclosure. 

He said: "This family we know so well and this was a team effort by everyone. I am very excited for Lady Laidlaw, she has been a great supporter of my yard and this family has treated me so well." 

Knowledge of the the family helped strengthen Kannemayer's belief that The Real Prince would not be troubled by racing over three furlongs further than he had ever done before.

"I remember buying Real Princess in the yearling sales and she was a top race filly in this country," he said. "Her first foal is Gimme A Prince who was champion sprinter in this country, he's her second foal and the fourth one won first time out the other day and is looking for a mile. When we bought her Jehan we said with that pedigree she is going to go a mile without a doubt, maybe further and we were banking on that stamina with this horse."

It is the second time that Kannemeyer has trained the winner of the Durban July for Lady Laidlaw with this victory coming exactly a decade after Power King's success in the race.

Malherbe was certain that the trainer's decision to give The Real Prince a two-month break between races was the correct one.

"I thought it was a great idea to go straight for the July with him," he said. "She [Lady Laidlaw] is very excited, she's already been on the phone. She bred this horse and thanks to Varsfontein Stud where she boards the mare and as Dean said, 'What a great mare and what a great feat'."

Real Princess was bred by Klawervlei and is a half-sister to Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner and sire William Longsword and the stakes winners Really Royal and Silver God.

They are out of Pagan Princess, a Fort Wood half-sister to Grade 1 winner Kelly and UAE Derby winner Victory Moon, who was runner-up to Pleasantly Perfect and Medaglia D'Oro in the Dubai World Cup. 

More international bloodstock news

Fourth of July to remember at Saratoga for the Amerman family with landmark Grade 1 success