The withdrawal of Horse of the Year Legislate from the G1 J & B Met at Kenilworth on Saturday has left Cape Town’s biggest race as a showdown between Queen’s Plate winner Futura and last season's Triple Crown hero Louis The King.
The pair share favouritism with the next horse in the betting at double figure odds after .
Futura won the Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth three weeks ago over the mile trip and now has to go an extra 400m but his trainer Brett Crawford is not concerned.
"He is a versatile horse. If they go slow it won't worry us with the way he turns it on at the end and if they go quickly it won't worry us either,” Crawford said.
Bernard Fayd'Herb rides Futura, who swept home with a sharp turn of foot to beat Louis The King in the Queen’s Plate by three quarters of a length.
Louis The King’s trainer Geoff Woodruff and rider Piere Strydom are looking forward to the rematch.
"Louis has improved markedly since the Queen's Plate,” Woodruff said.
”Alongside his undoubted ability there is a tough side to him that encompasses a tremendous will to win.
“The extras two furlongs will help us.”
Trainer Justin Snaith conceded defeat in his bid to get Legislate to the post on Saturday.
Legislate had been under a fitness cloud since his shock last behind Futura in Queen's Plate.
"He is 100% healthy but his preparation has not been great,”Snaith said after scratching his stable star from the Met.
“There is too much at stake to risk him running another below par race. The owners have put us under no pressure and are very much behind us with this decision."
Snaith still has five of the 14 runners and is intent on using them to dictate the pace.
He said: "The tactics will be very important and a slow pace would suit me beautifully.”
The G1 Investec Cape Derby is the other feature on the Kenilworth card and looks at the mercy of Cape Guineas winner Act Of War after hiu trainer Joey Ramsden drcided to focus on the classic rather than pit him against the older horses in the Met.
Act Of War has won six of his seven starts and will be set for an overseas campaign if he wins the Derby.
Ertijaal, trained by Mike de Kock for Sheikh Hamdan, has won all his three starts and is regarded as the major threat to Act Of War.
Ramsden also has the favourite Cold As Ice in the G1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes for fillies and mares.
Cold As Ice is chasing her fifth successive win at her first attempt over the mile.
