2026 HKJC Champions Cup Tips - Former Durban July winner to bounce back at Greyville
The 2026 HKJC Champions Cup, held at Greyville, brings together South Africa's elite racehorses mere weeks after the Durban July. Eight On Eighteen leads the odds, but tipsters are backing The Real Prince (9/4) to improve on last year's performance and secure victory. After a strong season highlighted by a win in the King's Plate, The Real Prince, guided by Craig Zackey from a favorable inside draw, looks poised for a comeback. Bettors are advised to consider him as the best value pick in Sunday's major Group One feature.
- Odds and betting predictions for the 2026 HKJC Champions Cup
- This Grade One takes place at Greyville on Sunday 26th July
- The Real Prince is our selection at 9/4
Less than a month after the Durban July has taken place, South Africa's finest clash again in the Champions Cup. This Group One has been won by many stars of South African horse racing, and viewers will enjoy another excellent renewal on Sunday.
Here's our free guide to the 2026 HKJC Champions Cup, including our best betting tips.
2026 HKJC Champions Cup Odds
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Eight On Eighteen | 2/1 |
| The Real Prince | 9/4 |
| See It Again | 5/2 |
| Gladatorian | 6/1 |
| Legal Counsel | 17/2 |
| Bar | 16/1 |
2026 HKJC Champions Cup Runners
Three of South Africa's highest-rated older horses, who missed the Durban July earlier this month, have been declared for Sunday's main event at Greyville. The betting is headed by Eight On Eighteen, who finished a close second in last season's Durban July, but has failed to build on that excellent three-year-old campaign.
Richard Fourie has opted to ride the market leader over stablemate See It Again, despite those high-profile victories in the Cape Town Met and the Premier's Champions Challenge. The Real Prince beat Eight On Eighteen in the 2025 Durban July, before running second to Gladatorian in this very contest.
Gladatorian returns to defend his crown, following a solid seventh over an unsuitable trip in the Durban July. Callan Murray rides Legal Counsel again, having guided Justin Snaith's four-year-old to 12th in the Durban July. 2024 Champions Cup winner Dave The King will have his fourth outing in this Group One. Three-year-old Malmesbury Missile rounds off the eight-strong field.
2026 HKJC Champions Cup Tips
Eight On Eighteen has probably been the most disappointing horse in world horse racing this season, and I'm more than happy to take the favourite on. With a fast pace likely to be set by the likes of Dave The King, THE REAL PRINCE (9/4) should have every chance of going one better than 12 months ago.
The Real Prince came into last year's Champions Cup on the back of a shock victory in the Durban July, but was upstaged on the day by Gladatorian, who beat the market leader into second. On his second outing of this season, The Real Prince proved his HDJ win was no fluke by flying home from the rear to claim a narrow victory in the prestigious L'Ormarins King's Plate.
Craig Zackey then found trouble in running as he finished third behind See It Again in the Cape Town Met. The Real Prince then struggled in both the Horse Chestnut and the Drill Hall Stakes, and a fourth-place finish in the Gold Challenge wasn't good enough for Dean Kannemeyer, who scratched his star from the Durban July just days after that three-length defeat to Questioning.
The Real Prince won the Durban July on the back of a similar break to this. Kannemeyer's four-year-old beat many of the horses he'll face on Sunday when landing the King's Plate, and stepping back up to nine furlongs should certainly suit. Zackey won't be too disappointed with his draw in stall one, as he won't have to waste too much energy settling his mount in his customary position at the rear of the field.
The Real Prince has won two legs of South Africa's Triple Crown, and he's more than capable of bouncing back to winning ways this weekend.
Verdict
The Real Prince is our best bet in Sunday's Champions Cup.
The Real Prince
2026 HKJC Champions Cup Tips
@9/4 - 5 Units
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