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)