SPORTING POST • Thursday 5 jaSportingNuaRy 2017 Post 1 preview just a week away Thursday 5 january 2017 Cape Premier Sale KENILWORTH Friday Best Roving Banker: r2 - (4) Figaro (4/1) GREYVILLE poly Friday Best Roving Banker: r8 – (12) Roy’s Hollyhock (1/1) SCOTTSVILLE Saturday Best Roving Banker: r3-(11) Asyouplease (5/2) KENILWORTH Saturday Best Roving Banker: r9 – (8) She’s A Giver (7/1) TURFFONTEIN Sunday Best Roving Banker: r7 – (5) Romany Prince (4/1) SA Horse Of The Year Legal Eagle goes for the double | Wayne Marks Saturday 31 December Turffontein - race 8 Sporting Post A Right Royal Battle Best Handicapped Just As I Said Gr1 l’Ormarins Queen’s Plate - Kenilworth Marinaresco has had a busier, and marginally less WON 8/1 auspicious year. he won two Gr3’s in the Cape Win- The re-match between reigning Horse Of The ter Series, was beaten into second by The Conglom- Year Legal Eagle and last season’s Champion 3yo erate in the july, and ended his season with a win in Marinaresco is eagerly awaited, and could have a the Gr1 Champions Cup over judicial. The latter win major impact on the Sun Met later this month. secured him the title of Equus Champion 3yo. Like Last year’s Queen’s Plate winner Legal Eagle Legal Eagle, he also finished like a rocket in a prep defeated Marinaresco in the Green Point Stakes run sprint before the Green Point. over the course and distance just over a month ago. The Eagle won 3 of his 4 starts since finding the Captain america spearheads the Brett Crawford top-class filly Smart Call too good in the j&B Met attack and is a powerful galloper with the tempera- just under a year ago. he won two Gr1’s in Gaut- ment for the big occasion. eng, ran a storming place in a 1160m sprint, and he ran fourth behind Legal Eagle last year, and dug deep on fitness reserves to hold Marinaresco had no answers when beaten over four lengths in in the Green Point. the Green Point Stakes. SPORTING POST • Thursday 5 jaNuaRy 2017 2 SATURDAY AT KENILWORTH Richard Fourie partners the second of the Brett Crawford trio, Sail South, who set a solid pace (too solid?) in the Green Point The Prime Source Stakes to make that a true run contest. Fourie has an excellent sense of front-running pace and Sail South might well have more The Queen’s Plate is the prime source of greatness, to come in the closing stages this time. present and future, which no other race achieves. Like recent times’winners Futura, Legislate, Variety Club, Pocket Sean Tarry has excellent back-up for Legal Eagle with French Power, jet Master, yard arm, Winter Solstice, Trademark, London Navy. This multiple Gr1 winning 5yo has his first run in the Cape – News – all subse- and has long looked the sort who will relish the Kenilworth track. quently voted horse date horse winAR ARlife he stretched his legs at Turffontein in a sprint three weeks back and of the year. among 04/01/1997 London News 115 117 there is every reason to believe he will be charging at them late. them jet Master 03/01/1998 Divine Force 111 111 Last season’s Triple Crown winner abashiri has had two modest- – multiple cham- 02/01/1999 Jet Master 114 128 ly dull runs this season. he faded right out in a too-short sprint pion sire, and his 02/01/2000 Jet Master 117 128 prep at Turffontein, and then never showed in the Green Point son Pocket Power, 30/12/2000 Free My Heart 114 114 Stakes last time out. Mike azzie will have him much more compet- the winningest of 29/12/2001 Trademark 106 108 itively fitter here, but even with the 1 draw and Gavin Lerena in them all with four 28/12/2002 Free My Heart 106 114 his favour he has his work cut out. Queen’s Plates. 13/03/2004 Yard-Arm 105 116 Mike de Kock’s 3yo Bold Rex is something of an enigma. Where and Variety Club, 01/01/2005 Winter Solstice 103 104 does he fit into the bigger scheme of things? he ran a cracking the highest rated 01/01/2006 Winter Solstice 103 104 third behind Bezanova in the Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes at Turffon- 30/12/2006 Pocket Power 100 116 internationally, at tein, followed by a somewhat inferior effort when third to Singa- 29/12/2007 Pocket Power 109 116 Timeform 131. pore Sling in the dingaans. he moved up with a double handful 10/01/2009 Pocket Power 108 116 but went a bit flat-footed when third (again!) at his opening Cape Sporting Post is 09/01/2010 Pocket Power 110 116 run in the Premier Trophy – half a length off Icy Trail. he may be the prime source 08/01/2011 Mother Russia 106 108 better over 200m shorter here but it is difficult suggesting he has of ratings – giving 07/01/2012 Gimmethegreenlight 110 112 what it takes to trouble the top two. a perspective 12/01/2013 Variety Club 117 131 Glen Puller’s lightly tried 6yo Silicone Valley has always been of what it took 11/01/2014 Capetown Noir 112 112 something of a talking horse and he gets his chance to make a to win the 10/01/2015 Futura 105 117 name for himself against our best milers. he came on too late Queen’s Plate. 09/01/2016 Legal Eagle 113 116 when failing by half a length to get to Search Party in the Cape Merchants at his last start. l’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Gr1 Queen’s Plate Last season’s Vodacom july past winners winner The Conglomerate beat Has Marsh Got The Power Again? Marinaresco by a neck the last 2013 time they met – in the july – and The 156th running of South Africa’s oldest horseracing event 1 Variety Club 60.0 (14) 1/1 could well showcase a defining moment in the next chapter of the 2 Jackson 60.0 (13) 7/2 could conceivably hold the Bass sensational story of Pocket Power, one of the great horses to win the 3 Pomodoro 60.0 ( 7) 4/1 2014 runner again - on paper. The Con- Queen’s Plate. 1 Capetown Noir 60.0 ( 1) 5/1 glomerate’s three runs this term The Queen’s Plate was first run in honour of Queen Victoria after she 2 Jackson 60.0 ( 8) 1/1 gifted a silver plate and 500 sovereigns to the South african Turf Club. 3 Jet Explorer 60.0 (11) 50/1 have been in Gauteng, where he 2015 The inaugural event was staged as heats in april 1861, with the honours 1 Futura 60.0 ( 9) 6/1 gave dual Summer Cup winner going to Cape Town owner Mr Chiappini’s horse dispatch. 2 Louis The King 60.0 ( 4) 5/1 Master Sabina a fright when run- after the death of Queen Victoria it was run as the King’s Plate during 3 Gold Onyx 60.0 ( 1) 33/1 ning him to a length. the reigns of Edward VII and George VI, then reverted to Queen’s Plate 2016 when Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953. The monarch maintains strong 1 Legal Eagle 60.0 ( 8) 7/1 Putting it all together, this 2 Legislate 60.0 ( 6) 4/1 ties with the event, and is represented every year by the British high 3 Noah From Goa 55.0 ( 9) 6/1 weight-for-age mile has all the Commissioner. makings a The laurels have been claimed by all the greats of the South african turf, including Sea Cottage, William Penn, In Full Flight, Sledgehammer, right royal START PA5/PICK SIX4/JACKPOT3 yataghan, Politician, Wolf Power, Empress Club, London News, jet 4:40PM Gr1 L’oRMARINS Queen’S PlatE - 1600M battle. Master, Winter Solstice and Variety Club. But the undisputed King of The KENILWORTH 7 SAME TRAINER:(1-2)(4-6-9) Queen’s remains four-time winner Pocket Power. The big poser is whether Marinaresco can step into the giant Pocket Greys Inn 1 LEGAL EAGLE(SG Tarry) A Marcus ................... 3 60.0 Power shoes on Saturday and rekindle the l’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Count Dubois 2 FRENCH NAVY(SG Tarry) Wei Marwing ........... 7 60.0 dream launched by Mike Bass for owners Marsh Shirtliff and arthur and Silvano 3 MARINARESCO(C Bass-Robinson) G v Niekerk ...10 60.0 Rina Webber a decade ago. Captain Al 4 CAPTAIN AMERICA(BJ Crawford) C Orffer ..... 8 60.0 Go Deputy 5 ABASHIRI(MG Azzie) G Lerena ......................... 1 60.0 The pink, white and blue Shirtliff silks were carried to victory for four Sail From Seattle 6 SAIL SOUTH(BJ Crawford) R Fourie ................. 5 60.0 consecutive runnings of the race by jet Master’s legendary son, Pocket Jay Peg 7 SILICONE ValleY(GR Puller) D Dillon ............ 2 60.0 Power, between 2006 and 2010. Lonhro 8 THE CONGLOMERATE(J Ramsden) P Strydom ...11 60.0 On Saturday Mike’s daughter Candice, who has taken over the Trippi 9 MIDNITE ZONE(BJ Crawford) M Byleveld ........ 9 60.0 yard, will give Grant van Niekerk a leg up in the famous power silks on Trippi 10 FIFTY CENTS(J Snaith) G Cheyne .................... 4 60.0 Marinaresco - then the quest for glory begins all over again. Bold Silvano 11 BOLD REX(MF de Kock) R Simons .................... 6 55.0 can be purchased here SPORTING POST • Thursday 5 jaNuaRy 2017 3 SATURDAY AT KENILWORTH The Hour Of Truth the Gr3 Victress Gr1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes - Kenilworth Stakes over Satur- day’s course and Grant van Niekerk celebrated the first Gr1 winner of his distance, and now career when booting Inara home for Mike Bass in the 2015 takes the step up to Gr1 Paddock Stakes.