It’s no ‘gimme’ as fierce rivals go toe to toe in King’s Plate

The story of rivalry between four-year-old colts See It Again and Charles Dickens is entering racing folklore and will gain a further chapter when the 2024 L’Ormarins King’s Plate is run at Kenilworth on Saturday 6 January.

The two stars, trained by Michael Roberts and Candice Bass-Robinson, are in the lineup and completely dominate the betting – at even money and 13-10 respectively.

Much of the pair’s possible competition was swept away when ante-post third and fourth favourites Gimme A Prince and At My Command were withdrawn from the entry list at final declaration stage this week.

The new joint-third favourites – at astonishingly long odds of 16-1 – are precocious three-year-old stablemates Snow Pilot and Hluhluwe. They are among five Justin Snaith runners in the 13-horse field.

Al Muthana will try to defend the title he claimed in 2023, with the team of trainer Ricky Maingard and jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe hoping to reprise a major upset in one of South Africa’s most important races.

Other withdrawals

Also scratched from the King’s Plate was Joburg-based Cousin Casey – presumably due to travel difficulties in the wake of a horse sickness scare.

This factor seems to have also eliminated unbeaten three-year-old filly Gimme A Nother from the Paddock Stakes, the other Grade 1 race on LKP day.

The absence of Mike de Kock’s charge and three other entries has left just seven runners in the likely starting lineup for this 1800m weight-for-age race for females.

This sets up an interesting generational battle between Equus Horse of the Year Princess Calla and Bass-Robinson’s talented sophomore duo of Beach Bomb and Red Palace.

The bookmakers don’t see much of a contest, though, posting Sean Tarry-trained Princess Calla at 5-10.

L’ORMARINS KING’S PLATE (WFA), 1600m, Grade 1, R2m

(No & draw, name, weight, MR, equipment, jockey, trainer):

1 Cosmic Highway 60 111 A Craig Zackey Dean Kannemeyer

2 Snow Pilot 55 116 A Juan Paul v’d Merwe Justin Snaith

3 Anfields Rocket 60 117 A Luyolo Mxothwa Brett Crawford

4 See It Again 60 132 BA Piere Strydom Michael Roberts

5 Montien 60 105 A Anthony Andrews Piet Botha

6 Countdown 60 108 A Raymond Danielson Glen Kotzen

7 Charles Dickens 60 132 A Aldo Domeyer Candice Bass-Robinson

8 Speed Machine 60 106 A Craig Bantam Justin Snaith

9 King Regent 60 115 A Gavin Lerena Glen Kotzen

10 Hluhluwe 55 111 A Grant van Niekerk Justin Snaith

11 Double Superlative 60 118 A Richard Fourie Justin Snaith

12 Al Muthana (AUS) 60 128 A Bernard Fayd’Herbe Ricky Maingard

13 Royal Aussie 60 118 A Muzi Yeni Justin Snaith

CARTIER PADDOCK STAKES (F&M at WFA), 1800m, Grade 1, R1m

1 Happy Chance 59.5 109 Ae Luyolo Mxothwa Brett Crawford

2 Red Palace 54 108 A Anthony Andrews Candice Bass-Robinson

3 Princess Calla 60 127 A Richard Fourie Sean Tarry

4 Beach Bomb 54 117 A Juan Paul v’d Merwe Candice Bass-Robinson

5 Love Is A Rose 59.5 99 TBA Bernard Fayd’Herbe Greg Ennion

6 Royals 54 103 A Muzi Yeni Glen Kotzen

7 Saartjie 59.5 110 A Corne Orffer Andre Nel