By Liesl King
The first Saturday in January has become synonymous with the running of the G1 L'Ormarins Queen's Plate, a Breeders' Cup Win and You're In race. For the past two years the race, run over a mile at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, has firmly belonged to one horse and that doesn't seem likely to change any time soon. Not only is Legal Eagle (SAf) (Greys Inn) the defending champion, but he also happens to be the dual Horse of the Year. Trained by Sean Tarry, the 6-year-old gelding has six Group 1 victories behind his name and the 157th running of the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate, the country's premier weight-for-age mile event, seems his for the taking. Tarry is following a tried and tested route with Legal Eagle and his victory in the traditional lead-up race the G2 Green Point S. over 1400m in December showed plenty of promise.
Since that victory however, the South African racing industry has been rocked by the shock resignation of Steinhoff International's CEO, leading owner Markus Jooste, after the discovery of accounting irregularities sent the company's share price plummeting. Owned by the beleaguered Jooste, Legal Eagle was recently sold and the gelding will sport the yellow and purple colours of Braam van Huyssteen come raceday. Tarry, who remains the gelding's trainer, was quick to point out that while the upheaval has been felt by all, for Legal Eagle it is business as usual and that his stable star was fit and ready.
The field for the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate seems to be a rerun of the 2017 edition, with Captain America (Saf) (Captain Al{SAF}), Marinaresco (Saf) (Silvano {Ger}), Sail South (SAf) (Sail From Seattle {CAN}) and Silicone Valley (SAf) (Jay Peg {SAf}), who followed Legal Eagle home in the 2017 edition, all in the lineup. While it is a race and “one must remember that horses are only flesh and blood”, according to Tarry, it is highly unlikely that any of the four will reverse last year's result. Even the barrier gods seem to have favoured Legal Eagle and regular rider Anton Marcus with a dream start in barrier two. Marinaresco, the G1 Vodacom Durban July winner, will jump from barrier four, but trainer Candice Bass-Robinson is the first to admit that a mile is a tad short for her charge.
Brett Crawford saddles a formidable duo in the evergreen Captain America and G1 Champions Cup winner Sail South, who are drawn next to each other in barriers eight and nine respectively. With the services of Corne Orffer and Greg Cheyne both are likely to be fighting out the finish. The three newcomers, who could potentially challenge Legal Eagle's reign, are Argentinian import Hat Puntano (Arg) (Hat Trick {Jpn}), the promising Gold Standard (SAf) (Trippi), who is returning from injury and Winter Series winner African Night Sky (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf}).
Incidentally Hat Puntano and Gold Standard are both owned by race sponsor Mrs Gaynor Rupert. Trained by Mike and Adam Azzie, Hat Puntano, a dual Group 1 winner back home, has not yet set the tracks alight since arriving in South Africa and would have to up his game if he is to beat Legal Eagle. It will be Gold Standard's third run after a rest and the talented colt is likely to be in the mix at the finish. Justin Snaith, who saddles four runners, is confident that African Night Sky is in excellent shape, but concedes that beating Legal Eagle is never easy and that a mile is a bit short for the 4-year-old.
It is hard to look past Legal Eagle for a winner. His ability to race either on the pace or come from behind makes him very hard to beat over his favoured distance of a mile and it is a brave man who bets against him.
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