THE Grade 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate will live up to its prestigious billing with a high-class line-up at Kenilworth on January 9.
Topping the list of runners are the Justin Snaith-trained stablemates Futura and Legislate, who have both won four Grade 1s apiece. The score in their four clashes to date stands at 2-2. Futura will attempt to retain his crown, while Legislate will be out to make amends for last year when he failed as odds-on favourite.
Noah From Goa, Queen’s Plate.
The Joey Ramsden-trained Act Of War, winner of last season’s Grade 2 Selangor Cup and Grade 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas, among other races, will be out to prove himself the best miler in the land and his last run, when finishing fourth behind Captain America, Futura and Paterfamilias in the Grade 2 Lanzerac Alta Mater Green Point Stakes over this distance, can be virtually ignored as he was caught behind a slow pace.
Green Point Stakes victor Captain America has won a weight-for-age Grade 1 mile before and loves Kenilworth. He will have a fine chance of retaining the Queen’s Plate for the Brett Crawford yard, as the trainer was in charge of Futura at this time last year.
The Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner, Mike de Kock-trained Noah From Goa, is courageous and ever-improving and will attempt to become only the second three-year-old in the last 40-odd years to win the Queen’s Plate.
The highest-rated runner in the race will be the Sean Tarry-trained Legal Eagle and with the J&B Met as his chief target he could be dangerous here over a trip short of his optimum.
His stablemate Gold Onyx is an evergreen eight-year-old who went close last year and showed his wellbeing last time out when second in the Grade 2 Premier Trophy over 1800m to Paterfamilias.
The race has also attracted Vodacom Durban July champ Power King and Sansui Summer Cup hero Master Sabina.
Alec Laird-trained Bouclette Top has been a revelation since blinkers were applied just under a year ago and was an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile, so he could be the dark horse.
Ramsden-trained King Of Pain beat the best milers in the country when winning the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge two seasons ago and can’t be written off.
Snaith-trained Heartland is starting to live up to his reputation too, while all of the other runners are worthy contenders and could all earn a cheque.
The draw was all important and Power King landed pole position, while Futura drew 2, Legislate is drawn 6, Act Of War is in barrier No 11 and Captain America in No 10.
A top-class field will also line up in the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m, headed by Grade 1 winners Same Jurisdiction, Smart Call, Inara and Pine Princess. Inara will be attempting to retain her crown, albeit from a wide draw.
L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE (WFA) (Grade 1) 1600m R1m:
1 8 LEGAL EAGLE 60.0 120 T A …………… Sean Tarry
2 2 FUTURA 60.0 119 A B Fayd’Herbe Justin Snaith
3 10 CAPTAIN AMERICA 60.0 117 A C Orffer Brett Crawford
4 6 LEGISLATE 60.0 117 A P Strydom Justin Snaith
5 11 ACT OF WAR 60.0 115 T A A Marcus Joey Ramsden
6 13 BOUCLETTE TOP (ARG 60.0 114 BA W Marwing Alec Laird
7 3 NIGHT TRIP 60.0 109 BA G van Niekerk Mike Bass
8 1 POWER KING 60.0 109 BA G Behr Dean Kannemeyer
9 4 MASTER SABINA 60.0 108 T A G Lerena Geoff Woodruff
10 12 GOLD ONYX (NZ) 60.0 107 T A S Khumalo Sean Tarry
11 7 HEARTLAND 60.0 107 A A Domeyer Justin Snaith
12 5 KING OF PAIN 60.0 106 A S Randolph Joey Ramsden
13 14 ASHTON PARK 60.0 103 A M Byleveld Mike Bass
14 9 NOAH FROM GOA 55.0 111 A A Delpech Mike de Kock
(1,10) (2,4,11) (5,12) (7,13)
MAINE CHANCE FARMS PADDOCK STAKES (F&M, WFA) (Grade 1) 1800m R1m:
1 12 GALLICA ROSE 60.0 102 A D Dillon Joey Ramsden
2 2 ACROSTAR (AUS) 60.0 96 BA B Fayd’Herbe Justin Snaith
3 9 MA CHOIX (AUS) 60.0 96 A A Domeyer Andre Nel
4 16 SAME JURISDICTION 59.5 115 A A Marcus Duncan Howells
5 5 SMART CALL 59.5 111 A W Marwing Alec Laird
6 13 PINE PRINCESS 59.5 109 A G Lerena Mike de Kock
7 14 INARA 59.5 108 A G van Niekerk Mike Bass
8 10 COME FLY WITH ME 59.5 98 A C Orffer Mike Bass
9 6 CAT AND THE MOON 59.5 97 BA C Du Plooy Justin Snaith
10 15 ZANTE 59.5 96 BA K de Melo Neil Bruss
11 7 DEPUTY RYDER 59.5 95 A C Puller Neil Bruss
12 11 CRYSTAL CAVERN 59.5 92 A B Lerena Adam Marcus
13 8 MOONSONG MAGIC 59.5 88 BA M Byleveld Greg Ennion
14 1 BELA-BELA 54.0 97 A A Delpech Justin Snaith
15 3 STAR EXPRESS 54.0 93 A P Strydom Justin Snaith
16 17 HARLEM SHAKE 54.0 89 A …………… Glen Puller
Reserve Runners
17 4 SUBLIME LADY 54.0 89 A Reserve 1 Mike Bass
Same Trainer – NOT COUPLED on Tote
(2,9,14,15) (7,8,17) (10,11)
