ESPUMANTI (headline photo) has been accepted for the Gr1 Main Chance Farm Paddock Stakes (R1-million) at Kenilworth on 11 January. Mary Slack’s filly will be partnered by stable jockey Anthony Delpech.

The De Kock/Slack partnership won the race in 2010 with Mother Russia (Anton Marcus), while Mike finished second with Flirtation in 2011 and third with Viva Maria in 2013.

Jackson, runner-up last season and this year’s likely favourite, is drawn midfield of the 14 runners who will line up for the R1-million L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m.

The five-year-old impressed on his return in the Grade 2 Diadem Stakes over 1200m at the Cape Town course last Saturday and is rated 3.5kg clear of the next highest rated horse in the field, the Sean Tarry-trained Whiteline Fever, who is drawn widest of all.

Red Ray, third in the Grand Parade Cape Guineas shortly before Christmas, is the only three-year-old in the field. He is trained by Joey Ramsden who won last year’s race with Variety Club as well as the 2005 and 2006 runnings with Winter Solstice. His jockey, Anton Marcus, has won the race on five previous occasions. He partnered Variety Club last year, won the race twice (1999 and 2000) on Jet Master, guided home Empress Club in 1993 and in 2011 won on Mother Russia.

Ramsden also runs King Of Pain, the mount of Bernard Fayd’Herbe who is bidding for his fourth Queen’s Plate following three consecutive wins on Pocket Power. Jeff Lloyd rode Pocket Power to his first Queen’s Plate victory.

Other notables include Capetown Noir, winner of last season’s Cape Guineas and Investec Cape Derby, and the Geoff Woodruff-trained Sansui Summer Cup winner Yorker. However, stable companion Master Sabina, runner-up in the Summer Cup, is not in the field and goes instead for the Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap.

Beach Beauty and Jet Aglow, first and second last year, renew rivalry in this year’s running of the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m. A year ago Jet Aglow was prepared by Glen Kotzen but this time both are trained by Dennis Drier. Sean Cormack again rides Beach Beauty and Glen Hatt takes over from Grant van Niekerk on Jet Aglow.

Van Niekerk partners Lanner Falcon on whom he finished second in the Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas.

In The Fast Lane, winner of the Cape Fillies Guineas, is also in the field and is one of two runners for Justin Snaith who won this with Dancer’s Daughter six years ago and with Emerald Cove in 2011.

In The Fast Lane and Jet Aglow are well drawn but both Beach Beauty (No 10) and Lanner Falcon (No 11) are not.

Last year’s winner of the 1 800m Peninsula Handicap, Hill Fifty Four, has 3kg more to carry this year and the Grade 2 event is sponsored for the first time by Britain’s Goodwood Racecourse.

A lot of interest will focus on J&B Met second favourite Master Of My Fate who has won the last five of his six starts but is drawn wide.

Fields are:

L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE (WFA) (Grade 1)(Weight For Age) R1 million 1600m

1 – 8 JACKSON (B Crawford) G Hatt 60.0 – 118
2 – 14 WHITELINE FEVER (S G Tarry) G Lerena 60.0 – 111
3 – 1 CAPETOWN NOIR (D Kannemeyer) K Neisius 60.0 – 110
4 – 12 ROYAL ZULU WARRIOR (K Naidoo) A Delpech 60.0 – 110
5 – 7 ICE MACHINE (D Kannemeyer) K Shea 60.0 – 109
6 – 11 JET EXPLORER (S J Snaith) R Fourie 60.0 – 108
7 – 2 KING OF PAIN (J Ramsden) B Fayd’Herbe 60.0 – 108
8 – 3 YORKER (G V Woodruff) R Fradd 60.0 – 108
9 – 4 LAKE ARTHUR (Y Govender) A Domeyer 60.0 – 107
10 – 5 CHAVE DE OURA (D R Drier) S Cormack 60.0 – 105
11 – 13 NO WORRIES (G H Van Zyl) P Strydom 60.0 – 104
12 – 10 CASTLETHORPE (M W Bass) G van Niekerk 60.0 – 101
13 – 6 CORREDOR (G R Puller) A Fortune 60.0 – 96
14 – 9 RED RAY (J Ramsden) A Marcus 55.0 – 105
Same Trainer: (3,5) (7,14)

MAINE CHANCE FARMS PADDOCK STAKES (WFA) (Grade 1) R1 million 1800m

1 – 10 BEACH BEAUTY (D R Drier) S Cormack 60.0 – 111
2 – 12 RAZZLE DAZZLE ROSE (Y Govender) A Domeyer 60.0 – 104
3 – 2 EUROPE TO AFRICA (V H Marshall) O Noach 60.0 – 101
4 – 14 DO YOU REMEMBER (G V Woodruff) R Fradd 59.5 – 110
5 – 13 HAMMIE’S HOOKER (M W Bass) B Fayd’Herbe 59.5 – 103
6 – 5 JET AGLOW (D R Drier) G Hatt 59.5 – 101
7 – 1 JET SUPREME (S J Snaith) K Neisius 59.5 – 98
8 – 7 PRICELESS JEWEL (A N Marcus) G Cheyne 59.5 – 97
9 – 9 MAXIMUM JET (P P Kruyer) A Fortune 59.5 – 94
10 – 4 ESPUMANTI (M F De Kock) A Delpech 58.5 – 105
11 – 3 IN THE FAST LANE (S J Snaith) R Fourie 54.0 – 100
12 – 6 ALONG CAME POLLY (G H Van Zyl) P Strydom 54.0 – 99
13 – 11 LANNER FALCON (M W Bass) G van Niekerk 54.0 – 97
14 – 8 ALASCAN MAIDEN (M W Bass) M Byleveld 54.0 – 95
Same Trainer: (1,6) (5,13,14) (7,11)

2014 GLORIOUS GOODWOOD PENINSULA HANDICAP (Grade 2) R400,000 1800m

1 – 6 HILL FIFTY FOUR (V H Marshall) A Marcus 60.0 – 110
2 – 13 MASTER OF MY FATE (D R Drier) S Cormack 59.0 – 109
3 – 1 MASTER SABINA (G V Woodruff) R Fradd 56.5 – 104
4 – 4 PATERFAMILIAS (M W Bass) P Strydom 56.5 – 104
5 – 7 HOT TICKET (D Kannemeyer) K Neisius 56.0 – 103
6 – 12 BROWN PENNY (M W Bass) A Delpech 55.5 – 101
7 – 10 PUNTA ARENAS (S Elley) A Domeyer 55.0 – 100
8 – 11 TRUE MASTER (S J Snaith) R Fourie 52.5 – 96
9 – 8 ZE KAISER (M W Bass) G van Niekerk 52.5 – 96
10 – 2 AWESOME POWER (G R Puller) M Yeni 52.0 – 95
11 – 3 PUTNEY FLYER (D R Hodgson) G Schlechter 52.0 – 94
12 – 9 LAURIE’S GOLD (M W Bass) G Hatt 52.0 – 93
13 – 5 NIGHT TRIP (M W Bass) M Byleveld 52.0 – 92
Same Trainer: (4,6,9,12,13)