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He may be a 100-to-one outsider but proven Group One performer Gold Onyx will fly the flag for the New Zealand breeding industry in South Africa's most celebrated race this weekend.
Black Minnaloushe seven-year-old Gold Onyx, bred by Cambridge's Windsor Park Stud and Phil Newman, will have his 50th start in the Gr.1 Vodacom Durban July Cup (2200m) at Greyville Racecourse on Sunday (NZ time).
A winner of the Gr.1 Premier's Champion Stakes at Greyville at two, Gold Onyx comes off indifferent leadup form but South Africa's leading trainer Sean Tarry is refusing to write off the winner of seven races.
"Gold Onyx's last run was disappointing. Obviously he over-raced and was too handy carrying 60kg," Tarry said of the Kiwi-bred's last-start fifth in the Gr.3 Cup Trial behind race rival Punta Arenas.
"He emptied out quicker than I would have hoped, but he rode him completely differently to how he is normally ridden."
Grant Behr retains the Gold Onyx ride in the Durban July, in which Tarry will saddle five of the 18 runners including the favoured pair of Legal Eagle and French Navy.
Gold Onyx had placed in the Gr.1 Queen's Plate and Gr.1 J & B Met in his previous two starts at the end of his winter preparation in January.
"From the draw [barrier 18] he will just be dropped to the back and hope that he runs on," Tarry said.
"He quickens up well and comes from off them in most of these big races where they never go hard. They crawled in Cape Town and he still finished off well."
Gold Onyx, an $80,000 Karaka yearling sale purchase for New Zealand Bloodstock's Andrew Seabrook on behalf of South African owner Chris Van Niekirk, was seventh in the Durban July in 2012.
While Black Onyx is the only New Zealand-bred in the race, there are two Australian-bred starters, Wylie Hall, who was controversially relegated to second in last year's race, and The Conglomerate, to be ridden by Chad Schofield.
The other New Zealand-bred runner on the card is the Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan-bred Diamond King, rated as a "good winning chance" by trainer Tony Rivalland
