One of the strongest fields in a number of years lines up in the R1 million, Grade 1, L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (1600m) at Kenilworth, Cape Town, on Saturday.
Photo by Gold Circle
From 2006 to 2009 the Queen's Plate belonged to the equine superstar Pocket Power, while 2010 belonged to his globe-trotting full sister River Jetez.
Pocket Power now has a successful second career as a show jumper, but the turf champion will once again grace Kenilworth where he claimed so many victories, but this time as lead horse for the Queen's Plate field.
Eleven runners have accepted the challenge on Saturday to emulate Pocket Power, but it is the two mares in the field, Ebony Flyer and Gibraltar Blue, and the superstar three-year-old Variety Club, that have attracted the most attention.
Photo by Gold Circle
Ebony Flyer is South Africa's Zenyatta. Similar in build she is also black, stands 17 hands high, and weighs in at 580kgs. But unlike the dancing Zenyatta, Ebony Flyer is gentle, easy going and very laidback. She reserves her energy for where it matters most, the race track, and there just like her American counterpart, she likes to dominate her opposition.
Apart from her numerous victories, the black mare's claim to fame is that she is one of only two horses to have lowered the colours of champion filly Igugu(AUS). One of her few defeats came in last year's Queen's Plate, where she finished third, as a young three-year-old and with breathing problems, behind Mother Russia.
A wind operation behind her, she has returned better and more powerful this season, and with the 2012 Queen's Plate always having been her ultimate aim, she could very easily be crowned the new Queen come Saturday.
Trainer Justin Snaith says: “Ebony Flyer has had this race as her mission for a long time and there will be no excuses. She is a very good filly over a mile and she is ready. We have done everything we can.”
Gibraltar Blue(IRE) on the other hand is the exact opposite in colour and size. The chestnut is not the biggest in the game, but her heart is huge and she loves to run. Trained by the Durban maestro, Mike de Kock, the front running filly has drawn barrier three and will most likely be playing a game of catch me if you can.
Usually seen out over shorter distances, she has won over 1600m before in the Grade 2 Ipi Tombi Challenge and with six wins, including four Graded victories and two seconds behind her name, she is sure to give the males a run for their money come Saturday.
De Kock is pleased with the mare's draw.
Photo by Liesl King
“Gibraltar Blue always goes forward. She is a one dimensional runner who uses her speed. She has won at Turffontein over the 1600, so the distance should be no problem at all,” he commented.
Last but by no means the least, is the reigning King of Kenilworth, the three-year-old colt Variety Club. He has swept away all in his path, winning the Grade 3 Matchem Stakes (1400m); the Grade 2 Selangor Cup (1600m), and the Grade 1 Cape Guineas (1600m), one after the other ,and appears to be unstoppable.
Variety Club played up in the barriers before the Cape Guineas, but trainer Joey Ramsden is confident that his star colt is ready for Saturday.
Photo by Liesl King
“He is a very fit horse and thankfully everything has gone according to plan since his Guineas run. We have been working with him in the barriers and expect no problems on Saturday,” he said.
The talented colt is by speed sire Var out of a female family that is not known for its staying prowess and yet he romped home in the Cape Guineas, treating the 1600m as if he would have liked further.
Ramsden is quietly confident that Variety Club will see out 2000m, which could see him line up in either the Grade 1 J & B Met on January 28thor the Investec Derby on the same day at Kenilworth.
