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SA Derby winner Louis The King has recovered from a virus and will be among three horses trainer Geoff Woodruff plans to start in the R2-million President’s Champions Challenge at Turffontein on Saturday week.

There had been concern for Louis The King since the three time G1 winner was eased out of the G1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein on SA Classic Day.

Nothing obvious was detected by the course veterinary surgeon but Woodruff said a virus had affected his stable.

“Our horses have been battling with an equine rhino pneumonitis virus. Our form has been in and out for over a month.

“We’d get a winner, fancy the horse next time out and it would run stone last.

“Every horse in the yard got the same symptoms. They can look well and work well, but overnight, with a bit a stress from a hard gallop or a race, they get a nasal discharge and cough.

“It’s like a head cold. I don’t treat them – I just back off them, let them canter quietly and they get over it. It’s an inconvenience rather than a major illness.

Woodruff said the virus had affected many horses at the Randjesfontein training centre.

“I’ve been hearing lots of horses cough, so it’s something that’s been running through the training centre.

“It seems to have worked its way through and we’re getting a bit more order to the form again.”

Woodruff was upbeat about Louis The King’s latest piece of work.

“His body language showed he had enjoyed himself. He’s looking like himself again,” he said.

Woodruff is not so happy about the barriers for the Champions Challenge for his trio.

Louis The King pulled No 22 barrier in the ballot with last year’s Champions Challenge runner-up Tellina drawing 20 of the 25 entries.

Killua Castle, beaten a neck by Louis The King in last year’s Sansui Summer Cup, got 24.

“I find it inconceivable that the computer would draw all of my top horses out wide,” he said.

“It is what it is. All I can hope is that because a lot of the horses in the entry will run under sufferance quite of few of them will be pulled out and the field will be small.”

Tellina, who placed at G1 level for the eighth time when runner-up to Captain America in the Horse Chestnut Stakes, and Killua Castle are both proven over the track and trip so should be competitive.

“Tellina will put in his usual game run. He’s overdue for a big race win and one of these days is going to crack it,” Woodruff said.

“Killua Castle had the same virus before his poor run in the Colorado King Stakes. If we can get him to his top form, he’ll run his normal gutsy race.”