Strong field lines up for L’Ormarins Queen’s plate

Defending champion Legal Eagle has sights firmly set on claiming another L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate crown with the reigning Horse of the Year headlining an 11 horse field for the 2017 renewal at Kenilworth Racecourse on 7 January.

The 1600m contest will have an increased stake of R1.5-million for this year’s event has drawn a Triple Crown winner, a Vodacom Durban July winner, several Grade One winners and a couple of pretenders to the throne.

Legal Eagle, to be ridden by regular jockey Anton Marcus, is one of two confirmed Sean Tarry inmates taking their chances in South Africa’s oldest race with French Navy the mount of Weichong Marwing.

Abashiri will be piloted by Gavin Lerena while Piere Strydom reunites with The Conglomerate in the hopes of repeating their heroics at Greyville when springing a surprise in the July.

Captain America, in the care of Brett Crawford, has his regular jockey Corne Orffer in the irons as does Marinaresco with Grant van Niekerk up.

Van Niekerk and his mount will be hoping to turn the tables after being beaten in the Green Point Stakes (Gr 2) by Legal Eagle earlier this month. This showdown has been one of the talking points of the Summer of Champions and opinions will no doubt once again be split.

Other runners confirmed in the field for the Grade One contest include Sail South, Silicone Valley and Midnite Zone, one of three entries from the Crawford yard.

Fifty Cents was supplemented into the race by the Justin Snaith stable after listed success earlier in December and will be ridden by the in-form Greg Cheyne while bottom weight Bold Rex rounds off the 11-runner affair.

The main event is supplemented by the running of the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes (Gr 1) where a cracking field of fillies and mares look to enhance their value in the breeding shed.

A total of 12 horses will line for the R1-million contest and with the likes of Bela-Bela and Silver Mountain, one of three entries from the Candice Bass-Robinson stable, among a number of classy sorts for the weight-for-age affair.

Taking place over two days the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Festival will once again be one of the must-attend social events of the South African summer and tickets for the blue and white themed affair on 6 & 7 January are available here http://bit.ly/LQP2017.

The opening day is highlighted by the running of the Cartier Sceptre Stakes (Gr 2) as well as the Garden Party with prizes offered for the best-dressed on course. There is also the chance for the Best Dressed woman at the event on the Saturday to win tickets to Glorious Goodwood in the UK.

Race-7 (Turf) R 1,500,000 1600m 16:40 Ref-343
L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE (WFA) (Grade 1)
Weight For Age

Sc# Horse Mass MR Draw B A T Jockey Trainer
1 LEGAL EAGLE 60.0 123 (123) 3 A T A Marcus Sean Tarry
2 FRENCH NAVY 60.0 115 (115) 7 A W Marwing Sean Tarry
3 MARINARESCO 60.0 115 (115) 10 B A G van Niekerk Candice Bass-Robinson
4 CAPTAIN AMERICA 60.0 114 (114) 8 A C Orffer Brett Crawford
5 ABASHIRI 60.0 113 (113) 1 A G Lerena Mike Azzie
6 SAIL SOUTH 60.0 112 (112) 5 A R Fourie Brett Crawford
7 SILICONE VALLEY 60.0 111 (111) 2 A D Dillon Glen Puller
8 THE CONGLOMERATE 60.0 107 (107) 11 A T P Strydom Joey Ramsden
9 MIDNITE ZONE 60.0 102 (102) 9 B A T M Byleveld Brett Crawford
10 FIFTY CENTS 60.0 95 ( 95) 4 A G Cheyne Justin Snaith
11 BOLD REX 55.0 101 ( 91) 6 A R Simons Mike de Kock

Race-6 (Turf) R 1,000,000 1800m 16:00 Ref-342
MAINE CHANCE FARMS PADDOCK STAKES (WFA) (Grade 1)
For Fillies & Mares at Weight For Age
Sc# Horse Mass MR Draw B A T Jockey Trainer
1 BELA-BELA 60.0 107 (106) 6 A A Marcus Justin Snaith
2 SILVER MOUNTAIN 60.0 105 (104) 3 A G van Niekerk Candice Bass-Robinson
3 GOODTIME GAL 60.0 99 ( 98) 11 A G Lerena Michael Robinson
4 NIGHTINGALE 60.0 99 ( 98) 9 A A Domeyer Candice Bass-Robinson
5 CHEVAUCHEE 60.0 98 ( 97) 12 A G Cheyne Brett Crawford
6 STAR EXPRESS 60.0 98 ( 97) 1 A P Strydom Justin Snaith
7 TAHINI 60.0 97 ( 96) 5 A S Khumalo Sean Tarry
8 ICY FIRE 60.0 94 ( 93) 8 A C Orffer Brett Crawford
9 SAFE HARBOUR 54.5 108 ( 96) 2 A W Marwing Sean Tarry
10 SAIL 54.5 102 ( 90) 10 A S Veale Dennis Drier
11 FINAL JUDGEMENT 54.5 99 ( 87) 7 A R Fourie Glen Kotzen
12 WHOSE THAT GIRL 54.5 90 ( 78) 4 A M Byleveld Candice Bass-Robinson