MIKE de Kock’s yard is happy with its two L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate contenders Soqrat and Buffalo Bill Cody and also with their Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes runner Cascapedia, reports DAVID THISELTON.
The four-year-old Irish-bred Buffalo Bill Cody receives a half-a-kilogram Northern Hemisphere allowance and is improving consistently, while Soqrat will attempt to become only the second three-year-old since 1973 to win the Queen’s Plate.
Mathew de Kock said, “It is a big test for them but they are up to it.”
Soqrat.
Soqrat showed last time when winning the Grade 1 Cape Guineas he is course and distance suited and has all the credentials of a great racehorse,including early pace, a relaxed temperament and a superb turn of foot.
However, he is out at 7/1 with World Sports Betting while Buffalo Bill Cody is a 9/2 shot.
The latter has won five of six career starts and in three runs over a mile has put a combined margin of 12,2 lengths between himself and the opposition. He is unexposed but could be anything.
Soqrat has a plum draw of three and regular pilot Randall Simons is up.
Buffalo Bill Cody has a tough draw of ten and Gavin Lerena remains aboard having taken over from Simons last time.
Buffalo Bill Cody and Cascapedia travelled down from Cape Town on the Thursday two weeks ago and the journey went well.
The big Irish-bred mare had a tough race in the G-Bets Summer Cup where she finished a narrow 0,8 length third giving 2,5kg to the winner Tilbury Fort and 2kg to the runner up Dawn Assault.
However, the yard have freshened her up and Matthew said she was a happy horse at present.
He also believes she will appreciate the step down to 1800m.
“2000m stretches her,” he said.
Cascapedia has never raced in Grade 1 weight for age company and is up against the like of Equus Horse Of The Year Oh Susanna.
However, she is relatively unexposed having won six of ten career starts.
She jumps from a tricky draw of eight with Lerena up.
