Entries for King’s Plate day promise racing par excellence

Fierce rivals Charles Dickens and See It Again are likely to clash again in the Grade 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate over 1600m at Kenilworth racecourse on 6 January.

Mounting intriguing challenges to the two superstars could be up-and-coming three-year-olds Snow Pilot and Hluhluwe, ace sprinter Gimme A Prince and defending champion Al Muthana.

If the list of first entries for this prestigious race looks exciting, that for the supporting feature, the Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m, promises just as many thrills.

Nominations for this weight-for-age Grade 1 clash for fillies and mares include Equus Horse of the Year Princess Calla, unbeaten Joburg sophomore Gimme A Nother and the dynamic young duo of Beach Bomb and Red Palace, who have burst onto the Cape summer scene from the Candice Bass-Robinson stable.

Snow Pilot, trained by Justin Snaith, was penalised a whopping 17 merit points – from 109 to 116 – for his superb victory in last weekend’s Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas. The National Horseracing Authority
handicappers reckoned stablemate Hluhluwe – third in the same race – should remain on an MR of 111 as he was the line horse.

But none of this will affect the King’s Plate, as it is a weight-for-age contest, with the three-year-olds carrying 55kg and enjoying a 5kg pull on all the older runners.

Snaith will be pleased with Snow Pilot’s No 2 draw and might not be displeased with Hluhluwe’s No 12 as the colt likes to gallop off the pace.

Trainer Michael Roberts and jockey Piere Strydom were probably hoping for something akin to the No 5 draw they got, while Bass-Robinson and stable jockey Aldo Domeyer will be happy to take their chances from No 8 or lower.

Supplementary entries for the King’s Plate and Paddock Stakes close on Friday 22 December and declarations on Thursday 28 December.

L’Ormarins King’s Plate (WFA), Grade 1, R2m, 1600m. First entries [draw, horse, weight, MR, trainer (jockey declared)]

1 Cosmic Highway 60 111 Dean Kannemeyer

2 Snow Pilot 55 116 Justin Snaith (Juan Paul van der Merwe)

3 At My Command 60 124 Brett Crawford

4 Anfields Rocket 60 117 Brett Crawford

5 See It Again 60 132 Michael Roberts

6 Montien 60 105 Piet Botha

7 Countdown 60 108 Glen Kotzen

8 Charles Dickens 60 132 Candice Bass-Robinson

9 Gimme A Prince 60 130 Dean Kannemeyer

10 Speed Machine 60 106 Justin Snaith (Craig Bantam)

11 King Regent 60 115 Glen Kotzen

12 Hluhluwe 55 111 Justin Snaith (Grant van Niekerk)

13 Cousin Casey 60 123 Sean Tarry

14 Double Superlative 60 118 Justin Snaith (Richard Fourie)

15 Al Muthana (AUS) 60 128 Ricky Maingard

16 Royal Aussie 60 118 Justin Snaith (Muzi Yeni)

Cartier Paddock Stakes (WFA), Grade 1, R1m, 1800m. First entries [draw, horse, weight, MR, trainer]

1 Gimme A Nother 54 120 Mike de Kock

2 Happy Chance 59.5 109 Brett Crawford

3 Double Check 60 91 Justin Snaith

4 Red Palace 54 108 Candice Bass-Robinson

5 Princess Calla 60 127 Sean Tarry

6 Gold Poker Game 59.5 107 Candice Bass-Robinson

7 Beach Bomb 54 117 Candice Bass-Robinson

8 Love Is A Rose 59.5 99 Greg Ennion

9 Royals 54 103 Glen Kotzen

10 Saartjie 59.5 110 Andre Nel