They have taken the star colt out of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate which is run on the same day and is worth four times as much. The Queen’s Plate was previously said to be one of three options for his last race in South Africa before he goes overseas. The other two were the J & B Met and the Investec Cape Derby, both on 31 January.

Derek Brugman, racing manager for owner Markus Jooste, explained: “We are not 100% sure whether he will run in the Politician but we had to make the call 12 days out.

“We want to give him a run over slightly further than a mile to get a feeling of where we are with him. But, if we feel that we would rather give him another two weeks off before 31 January, we won’t run him in the Politician and will instead give him a gallop closer to the time. We will make a final decision in the next few days.”

Brugman indicated that it is still the plan to run the Joey Ramsden-trained colt in either the Met or the Cape Derby, but a decision on which race is likely to be deferred until after the Politician. Act Of War, who has won his last six races, is 15-2 for the Met.

On paper at least he has the Politician at his mercy. He is officially rated 7.5kg in front of the next highest horses, Mljet and Imperial Gold.

Piere Strydom, who won last month’s Selangor Cup on him but opted for Harry’s Son in the Guineas, will be back on board if he does run in the Politician.

Picture: Act Of War (Liesl King)

Justin Snaith said: “He was blowing a little bit afterwards but he hadn’t run for a while and he pulled up fine. This will put him right for the Queen’s Plate.”

Fourie added: “He didn’t go flat out but we didn’t need him to go any faster than he did. He is happy in himself and in a good place. It’s just a pity there aren’t more runners. I think some of the guys are scared of him!”

The four-year-old is expected to start odds-on for the January 10 showpiece and he is 6-10 with Betting World which makes Triple Crown hero Louis The King and Champions Cup winner Futura joint second favourites at 4-1. Everything else is in double figures with Kingvoldt on 10-1 and 20-1 Jet Explorer, 33-1 Tellina, Gold Onyx, 40-1 Ashton Park, 50-1 Paterfamilias.

Picture: Snaith Racing

The presence of the Justin Snaith-trained Legislate and the Geoff Woodruff-trained Louis The King in the Queen’s Plate entry list chased many horses away, but far from detracting from the race as a spectacle it will add to it, as this is a duel that many have been anticipating for a long time.

However, it is by no means a two horse contest. Another of the Gr 1 winners in the field, Futura, is rated by many as a future champion in his own right and runners like Jet Explorer, Tellina, Ashton Park and Kingvoldt will ensure that the top trio will not be able to afford any slip ups.

The world class three-time Gr 1 winner Legislate smashed the course record over this distance on the Kenilworth Old Course last time out in the Gr 2 Green Point Stakes in his seasonal reappearance. He has every weapon in his armour, including pace, stamina, strength, temperament, balance, a fine action and a devastating turn of foot, so will be hard to beat.

Three-time Gr 1 winner Louis The King is probably the most popular horse in the country, due to his rags-to-riches story, immense courage and loveable character. He has been beaten by Legislate over further, but those who remember the phenomenal burst of speed he displayed when annihilating a classy field in last season’s Gauteng Guineas will be predicting a famous victory on January 10 in the hands of the peerless Piere Strydom.

Futura has a fine turn of foot and ran an eye-catching third in his seasonal reappearance in the Green Point Stakes. On the downside, he might prefer a touch further and has also had a slightly interrupted preparation.

Jet Explorer, stablemate to Legislate, would be a fairy-tale winner as he has come back from a smashed jaw caused when brought down in a Gr 1 race last June. He was unlucky in the Queen’s Plate last year when flying up late for third and looks to have enjoyed a perfect preparation.

Tellina, stablemate to Louis The King and also a former Gauteng Guineas winner, finished just 0,7 lengths behind last season’s Queen’s Plate winner Capetown Noir in the wfa Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein last March, so has the necessary class.

Ashton Park has blossomed as a five-year-old in the typical fashion of a horse trained by the maestro Mike Bass and proved he can mix it with the best when finishing a surprise second in the Green Point Stakes.

The country’s best three-year-old Act Of War was the most disappointing absentee from the final field, but his stablemate Kingvoldt is only a couple of lengths behind him on form and will ensure that the three-year-old factor adds to the intrigue of the race.

Gold Onyx is a Gr 1 winner over this distance, but is getting on in years. Paterfamilias has only his second run in more than a year and will likely be better suited to the distance and conditions of the J&B Met.

The perennial rivals Hammie’s Hooker and Jet Aglow will clash once more in the Paddock Stakes and now that their nemesis Beach Beauty is retired either of them could finally land the Gr 1 victory they richly deserve.

However, the Gr 1 winner over this 1800m distance, Athina, as well as Jet Belle, who beat Jet Aglow in a Gr 2 over 2000m last season, are among those who will ensure an exciting contest.

Maybe Yes is full of class and should stay this 1800m trip now that she has matured. Jet Supreme and Acrostar have come into their own this season and Shingwedzi can’t be written off either. Ash Cloud is a Gr 1 winner but would probably prefer further.

Inara, Pine Princess and Grey Light will all love the 1800m distance and are worthy representatives of what could prove to be a strong three-year-old fillies crop.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount was withdrawn because of a dirty scope when expected to start favourite a fortnight ago but apparently all is well now.

“She is a nice filly and we didn’t want to take any chances with her,” explains assistant trainer Ricardo Sobotker. “She is over everything now.” She opened at 9-2 with Betting World yesterday and that looks value. Evoke Emotion (5-2) and Dungeon Dragon (7-2) are obvious dangers.

Arezzo opened 14-10 favourite for the maiden 35 minutes later but 3-1 shot No Resistance may recoup the losses he incurred here on Christmas Eve. He started at 2-1 that day but raced wide on the bend and only managed fifth. “He was a little disappointing and I left him in this because he is drawn well and in case he just got beaten,” says Mike Bass. “I don’t think running him again so soon will do him any harm and hopefully he will win this time.”

Ramsden’s Stem In Die Bos is 16-10 favourite for the opening maiden and has the best form but Dennis Drier’s horses are always to be feared in Cape Town, not least because he only brings those he thinks are going to win, and The Tripster gets marginal preference at 18-10.

Line Break is the form horse, and the favourite, in the All To Come Handicap but Bass says he is battling with soundness issues. In the circumstances 15-10 looks too short.

It’s the second run after a rest for Playingtheenemy (7-2) whose good run three weeks ago was his first for seven months. “He had a torn ligament in his pastern,” explains Darryl Hodgson but obviously caution is advised.

First run out of the maidens also carries a warning but Casual Fan (7-2) looked a different horse when fitted with blinkers last time. Admittedly the handicapper reacted as if the horse had bit him and promptly upped him nine points. Even so, given the doubts about the principal opposition, he may win again.

Come Fly With Me has been upped seven points, or 3.5kg, for her convincing win on Vasco Premier day. She won like a good horse in the making but Bass is concerned about the amount of the hike – “It’s difficult at the weights, particularly against older horses, and the handicappers are making it hard for her.”

She opened 5-2 favourite for the Soccer GG Handicap but perhaps the 5kg that 9-2 chance Aliysa’s Prize receives will swing the balance. She is fitted with cheek pieces after wandering in the final furlong last time. “She did everything right until then and she had the race in the bag,” Glen Kotzen points out.

Justin Snaith had planned to train her there himself, jetting backwards and forwards like Mike de Kock, and building a high class team that will also include J & B Met favourite Legislate.

Part-owner Andrew Cohen said yesterday: “We were quite willing for that to be the situation but it would be difficult with one horse.”

Cohen then hit out at the internationally-imposed quarantine restrictions on the movement of horses from South Africa.

He said: “Speaking as an owner and a breeder I would love to have more horses in South Africa but I would be restricted by quarantine regulations. You have a world class industry that is being restrained. You have got to bang away at the political people to get something done about it.

“We think that In The Fast Lane has done as much as she can in South Africa where she has proved herself the best of her generation. However the quarantine regulations make it difficult to run South African horses on the international stage.”