Queen’s Plate day fields an intriguing read

Eric Sands, who trains both mighty sons of super mare Halfway To Heaven, has elected to keep them apart for the time being, with six-year-old Rainbow Bridge getting the shot at the Grade 1 Queen’s Plate and four-year-old Golden Ducat going for the Grade 2 Premier Stakes on the same race card.

The multiple Grade 1 winning half-brothers are likely to bump heads in the Cape Met at the end of January, however.
(Their equally talented Halfway To Heaven sibling, five-year-old Hawwaam, is currently enduring lengthy export protocols ahead of an overseas campaign.)

Another important revelation when the weekend’s LQP Festival final fields were unveiled was the jockeys who have opted to stay in Western Province for its summer feature-race season.

Five names stood out: Durban-based Warren Kennedy, Anton Marcus and Keagan de Melo and Joburg’s Gavin Lerena and Luke Ferraris.

ALSO READ: Jockeys between a rock and a hard place

All the country’s jockeys had to decide by 5 January on where to base themselves for the immediate – and indefinite – future, following a National Horseracing Authority ban on the usual “frequent flyer” schedules of in-demand riders.

Top riders who’d normally be visiting Cape Town in search of the city’s January big-race spoils – such as Piere Strydom, Craig Zackey, Muzi Yeni, Lyle Hewitson, Sean Veale and S’manga Khumalo – have elected to stay at home under the stringent new lockdown restrictions on jockey travel.

Just eight runners are due to line up for the Queen’s Plate, the country’s most prestigious mile race, but it is a power-packed field. The betting market is clearly split down the middle, with four horses at 11-2 bar and four at 12-1 and upwards.

Young Ferraris gets the leg-up on Rainbow Bridge (3-1), while veteran Marcus hops aboard dual Durban July victor Do It Again (7-2) and Lerena partners Joburg raider Cirillo (11-2).

Local tyro Richard Fourie does duty on 16-10 favourite Belgarion, the 2020 July champ and impressive recent Green Point Stakes winner.

ALSO READ: Just nine entries for Queen’s Plate

The latter and Do It Again are trained by Justin Snaith, who saddles no fewer than four of the eight starters. Of his other two, Hurricane Harry (33-1) looks like he’s in to dictate the pace to the benefit of his stablemates, while Jet Dark (15-1) is something of a dark horse as a three year old with a weight advantage.

South Africa’s latest turf darling, nine-outing unbeaten filly Summer Pudding, will be the focus of attention in the other Saturday card-topper, the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes over 1800m.

Her regular partner Kennedy was probably swayed by her presence in the Mother City in his choice for the January sojourn.

She, too, is headed for the Met and a showdown with just about all the “bully boys” the country can muster.

ALSO READ: Horse racing back to strict lockdown rules

Kenilworth Saturday fields (number, draw, name, kgs, MR, equipment, jockey, trainer)

Race 5: Glorious Goodwood Premier Trophy (Grade 2, R200,000 1800m) Open at Weight For Age.

1. 5 Golden Ducat 60 128 A W Kennedy Eric Sands
2. 4 Nexus 59.5 117 A G van Niekerk Justin Snaith
3. 7 Hudoo Magic 59.5 110 A Marcus Brett Crawford
4. 1 African Night Sky 58.5 R Khathi Justin Snaith
5. 2 Vikram 58.5 101 BA G Lerena Andre Nel
6. 6 Sachdev 58 107 A R Fourie Justin Snaith
7. 3 Super Silvano 58 104 A G Cheyne Brett Crawford
   Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote (2,4,6) (3,7)

Race 6: Cartier Paddock Stakes (Grade 1, R500,000, 1800m) For Fillies & Mares at WFA.

1. 2 Queen Supreme 60 122 K de Melo Mike de Kock
2. 1 Clouds Unfold 60 126 A Domeyer Candice Bass-Robinson
3. 7 Silvano’s Pride 60 118 R Khathi Justin Snaith
4. 6 Miyabi Gold 60 113 A R Fourie Justin Snaith
5. 11 Summer Pudding 129 59.5 W Kennedy Paul Peter
6. 8 Driving Miss Daisy 59.5 M Winnaar Eric Sands
7. 10 Kelpie 59.5 G Cheyne Brett Crawford
8. 4 Heart Stwings 59.5 A G Lerena Paul Peter
9. 12 Sing Out Loud 59.5 A Marcus Brett Crawford
10. 5 Princess Calla 54 G Behr Adam Marcus
11. 9 Chat Ching 54 G van Niekerk Bass-Robinson
12. 3 Dazzling Sun 54 *L J Ferraris Justin Snaith
    Same Trainer – (2,11) (3,4,12) (5,8) (7,9)

Race 7: L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (Grade 1, R1 million, 1600m) Open at WFA.

1. 5 Rainbow Bridge 60 *LJ Ferraris Eric Sands
2. 7 Do It Again 60 A Marcus Justin Snaith
3. 6 Belgarion 60 R Fourie Justin Snaith
4. 4 Cirillo 60 126 G Lerena Sean Tarry
5. 8 Silver Operator 60 K de Melo Vaughan Marshall
6. 3 Sovereign Spirit 60 10 A Domeyer Candice Bass-Robinson
7. 1 Hurricane Harry 60 R Khathi Justin Snaith
8. 2 Jet Dark 55 G van Niekerk Justin Snaith
   Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote (2,3,7,8)

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