The 164th running of the Weight For Age Grade 1 L’Ormarins Kings Plate is as always, a great field. The cream of the crop as far as South African horseflesh is concerned descend upon Hollywoodbets Kenilworth for the marquee, classy, sought-after 1600m event. Saturday’s main event has many plots and subplots to work through but the three-year-old, One Stripe could be set for his second Grade 1 win in the space of three weeks.
The last three-year-old to win this race was Jet Dark in 2021. Noah From Goa did it nearly a decade earlier but there had been an argument that sophomores battled to win. Perhaps the three-week gap between the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas (won by One Stripe three weeks ago) took a chunk out of a horses’ game in seeking this Weight For Age event. After all, Charles Dickens was toppled as a three-year-old when starting as warm odds-on favourite two years ago before capturing the crown a year later.
The key piece of form this year was in October at Hollywoodbets Durbanville where Snow Pilot beat One Stripe. They look set to be market rivals for the 2025 edition. But a solid weight turnaround puts the Vaughan Marshall-trained youngster in a positive light. There was one-length between them both and One Stripe is now a whopping 6kg better off. Jockey Gavin Lerena has obliged to sweat to 55kg which is a tough job for him. But why wouldn’t he for a horse of this ilk?
Snow Pilot won the Cape Guineas in 2023 before going ice cold for the rest of his three-year-old campaign. But he has returned this season as a different beast. His caution-to-the-wind running style has been beautiful to watch. From draw No 13, Richard Fourie will doubtless send Snow Pilot to the lead as he tries to gallop his opposition into the ground for the third time in succession. Now that this has unlocked a new dynamic to his repertoire, he must stack up as a very hard horse to face because he has not stopped or shorten his stride. Trainer Justin Snaith has made no bones about the fact he fancies Snow Pilot to give Drakenstein Stud their second Kings Plate on the bounce.
Then World Sports Betting Cape Town Met hopefuls will be watching on closely. Oriental Charm and See It Again are proven Grade 1 quality horses with a few big scalps to their names. They will have their eyes set on the 25 January Grade 1 over 2000m at the same course but their class cannot be discounted. Oriental Charm is especially interesting because he is a gutsy front-runner himself. Whether he takes on Snow Pilot or sits just in behind is a very interesting discussion.
Gimme A Prince and Atticus Finch are both Grade 1 winners. Gimme A Prince will be tested at this level over 1600m. His two Grade 1 wins were in the sprint division. Atticus Finch left Johannesburg on Sunday and his main mission is also the Cape Met. His last outing was an impressive victory in the Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup over 2000m at Turffontein.
The Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes, race 6, over 1800m is one of the most pivotal races as far as shaping the South African breed is concerned. Again, Grade 1 winners aplenty are carded to line up but the issue is that the form is particularly muddled. Double Grand Slam is not a winner at the highest level, yet but she gets the vote to shed that monkey off her back. Her last win was in the Summer Bowl at this course over 1600m when she beat Rainbow Lorikeet (2nd), Gold Poker Game (5th), Saartjie (3rd), Knockout (6th), Red Palace (7th) and Rascova (4th). There have always been doubts whether Double Grand Slam truly sees out this distance but she hit the line well enough last time to give her the benefit of the doubt.
The eyecatcher in that race listed above was Saartjie who looked like a winner in waiting the next time she turned up at the races. Instead, she ran last in the Grade 3 Victress Stakes over this distance but the excuse was valid. The canter-sprint nature of the race gave her no chance to quicken. Trainer Andre Nel has added Lavender Bay rated 71. She has no right to be in the race so she is obviously there to make pace.
Red Palace is now in the care of Dean Kannemeyer and she gets the services of log-leading jockey, Craig Zackey. She is good enough to win and warrants a ton of respect. She could be on a revenge tour herself after having her nose bloodied by Double Grand Slam in the Summer Bowl. She has beaten Double Grand Slam before, and in style.
Oisin Murphy is in Cape Town for a while and his first ride is in race 1 over 1000m on Clair De Lune. She was expected to win on debut but turned over by Orbit by 0,3 lengths. She reopposes her conqueror on identical terms but one believes that she will come on plenty for the debut. This race favours fillies who improve at vast rates. She looks the candidate to do so here.
Tenango was touched off at his last run by Elusive Winter who ran an admirable third a week earlier. He gets another shot over the same course and distance in race 2 over 1000m. He was charging late and just missed. His penultimate run was impressive when he returned from a 10-month rest and swept a good field aside by 3,5 lengths. To the eye, that win must rate as the most impressive that anything in this field has put together.
Race 3 over 1000m is a great warm-up for the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship over the same distance on 25 January. Lion Rampart is given a narrow verdict because he looks more race-ready and he has something to prove. To show that he is capable of getting the better of this feature-race quality field will do a world of good to the confidence potentially going into the Grade 1 sprint showpiece on Met Day. Ziyasha, Questioning, Kaiboy and Meu Capitano are worthy dangers.
The Grade 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes, race 4 over 1200m looks like it is at Asiye Phambili’s mercy. She ran second in the race 12 months ago when finding a late charge and only just denied by the exported Grade 1 winner October Morn. She won her last start in impressive fashion when taking out the Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m, a distance just on the short side. Richard Fourie is carded to be aboard and that is a massive advantage. One feels this years’ renewal is slightly weaker than 2024.
Justin Snaith has a strong hand in race 5, the Grade 2 Anthonij Rupert Premiers Trophy over 1800m. All horses are cut from the same cloth. Good enough, not too reliable but good on their day. He was quick to point out Future Swing under Oisin Murphy as a lively contender noting that his last run left him hugely satisfied. Over this course and distance, he did his best work at the end when going down just over a length to The Futurist in the Grade 3 Ridgemont Peninsula Handicap. He is 2kg better off. He won the Grade 2 WSB 1900 at Hollywoodbets Greyville in May so this level is well within his grasp.
Daimyo, trained by Snaith, has come into his own too and he ranks as one of the most exciting stayers in the country. On what he did at his last start when controlling the pace and turning it on makes him the horse to beat in race 8, the Grade 3 Glorious Goodwood Chairmans Cup over 2500m. With 50kg on his back again, he meets all the horses behind him on identical terms.
Race 9 over 1400m is such a tricky but interesting race with so much pleasing form to read through. O’Tenikwa ran well above himself when fourth in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas last month. His draw of No 2 is tipped to win under Corne Orffer. Garrix looks to be a top horse in the making but draw No 15 makes one a little sceptical this time. Keep an eye on him going forward.
