Legal Eagle, the country’s best horse on merit ratings, will be having his first race on a left-hand track when he lines up in the R1-million L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Trainer Sean Tarry doesn’t believe it will be an issue and the star runner’s many fans will be hoping that he does adapt.

Horses “lead” with the inside fore (right leg) on a right-handed track like Turffontein, but with the left or off fore on a left-handed track like Kenilworth. They can get so used to leading with the one leg on the turn that there can be issues when asked to lead with the other.

Legal Eagle has been in Cape Town for a couple of weeks and Tarry has shown him the Kenilworth track in a quick workout. “It was a good-enough gallop,” he commented. “But only a race will tell whether he enjoys racing left-handed, which is one of the reasons why we are running him here.”

Legal Eagle’s main mission this summer is the J&B Met on Saturday 30 January. He was originally due to run in the London News Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday as his final preparatory run before being flown to Cape Town in the week of the Met. But an African horse sickness scare forced Tarry and Dereck Brugman to take him there sooner than anticipated to eliminate the risk and he has been based with Tarry’s assistant Monique Mansour at Eric Sands’ establishment for a couple of weeks now.

“He’s well,” said Tarry. “He has come on since that run a month ago, when he only just failed against Killua Castle in an 1800m race on the inside track at Turffontein. He’s on track for the Met from a fitness point of view.”

Tarry does not believe Legal Eagle can beat Futura because the 1600m of the country’s premier “mile” is 400m too short for the Greys Inn gelding. “If he gets into the hunt I’ll be happy,” he said. “He’ll probably race from mid-field and I’m sure he’ll finish off well.”

Legal Eagle will be ridden by owner Markus Jooste’s retained jockey Anton Marcus, who was originally down to ride Act Of War. “The fact that Anton chose to ride him in his prep for the Met must tell us something about what he thinks of the horse,” said Tarry. “After all, Act Of War is the better 1600m runner.”

Gold Onyx, he said, is thriving in Cape Town and made a good comeback from a four-month rest when second to Paterfamilias over 1800m last month.

“That was a fantastic prep run – he was caught wide and finished very well. We were a bit worried about his fitness that day and he’s come on a lot since then. He can spring another surprise over a distance short of his best and I’d be happy with a place.

“He started off in the same race last year before running third in the Queen’s Plate and then second in the Met and he travelled better this year. Yes, he’s a year older, but he seems to be in even better physical shape this year.”

Tarry has Liege in the R250,000 Politician Stakes and says punters can ignore his two runs so far in Cape Town. He finished downfield in both.

“He had an ear infection after the first and we found mucus in his trachea after the second. We wouldn’t have taken him down if we thought he had limitations. He’ll do much better, although I do believe Rabada is the horse to beat. He has a lot of weight but is clearly the best horse in the race and deserves the weight.”

French Navy, the Equus Champion Three-Year-Old last season, will be running at Turffontein in the London News Stakes and Tarry said: “I’d like to think he’s a banker in the carryover Pick 6. He’s got a lot in his favour, but at the end of the day everything’s got to fall into place.”
– TABnews

Betting World’s latest odds: 2-1 Futura; 28-10 Legislate; 11-2 Captain America; 15-2 Act Of War; 8-1 Legal Eagle; 10-1 Noah From Goa; 16-1 Master Sabina; 20-1 Heartland; 25-1 Power King, Bouclette Top, Gold Onyx; 40-1 King Of Pain; 50-1 Night Trip; 66-1 Ashton Park.

Rabada, expected to start favourite for the Cartier Politician Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday, had his travel delayed by administrative veterinary problems and only arrived in Cape Town yesterday.

Racing manager Derek Brugman said yesterday: “I would caution the racing public about this because we don’t know what to expect. The horse is fit and well, and is over his pharyngitis, but he would have had an extra day to recover if he travelled when he should have done – and an extra day’s recovery can mean a hell of a lot.”

Anton Marcus, who rides the Mike Azzie-trained colt, was originally declared to partner Act Of War in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate but has switched to Legal Eagle. Andrew Fortune takes his place.

Meanwhile, Same Jurisdiction has been installed 5-2 favourite with World Sports Betting for the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Smart Call, beaten a length by the Duncan Howells-trained filly in the Garden Province, is second favourite at 28-10 with the SA Oaks winner Pine Princess next on 4-1. Last year’s winner Inara is a 9-1 chance.

By Michael Clower

Our Destiny, 100-1 when chasing home Silver Mountain in the Fillies Guineas, may well start favourite for the conditions plate at Kenilworth today. She opened at 15-10 with World Sports Betting on Monday and, while she has since eased to 22-10, she still makes a lot of appeal.

She has a kilo to find with Alexis on adjusted ratings but Glen Kotzen is bullish about her. “She has done fantastic and got so much stronger since the Guineas,” he says. “She runs here and then the Klawervlei Majorca (Jan 23). There are really no other races for her because of her high merit rating.”

Kotzen also runs last season’s Fillies Guineas third Double Whammy but the 4-1 shot chipped a fetlock in her next race. “She needed her last two runs and I may just decide to put a pair of blinkers on,” says the Woodhill boss.

Alexis (John Lewis)

Alexis met with interference in a hot race last time and so is better than the form figures would suggest. She has been nibbled at (from 3-1 to 28-10 with WSB and from 7-2 to 5-2 with Betting World) and seems a bigger danger than Eventual Angel who looks too short at 15-4 considering how much she has to find on the ratings.

Justin Snaith and Bernard Fayd’Herbe should warm up for Saturday by taking the last with Nima but the first two races are tricky. Punters should note that the three unraced horses in the first are all considered useful.

Ferrero Rocha is an Australian bred and Candice Robinson says: “She may need it experience-wise and she will also want more ground but she is quite a nice filly.”

Andre Nel, looking for an excuse to celebrate his 37^th birthday a day early, introduces Liberal Sally and says: “She is not a star but it doesn’t look a strong race so she might have a chance.”

The Trippi filly Trippvilia represents Hassen Adams and Darryl Hodgson who says: “She is nice and she will run very well if she is not hindered by greenness.”

Ferrero Rocha and Liberal Sally opened joint favourites at 7-2 with WSB on Monday but the money has come for the Nel filly who was only 22-10 yesterday afternoon and was backed from 5-1 to 2-1 with BW. Brett Crawford’s New Found Glory (whose first run was far better than the bare result would suggest) is a 9-2 chance but Trippvilia was friendless and drifted out from 10-1 to 25-1.

Flying Ryan, who opened 4-1 joint favourite for the All To Come Maiden (race two), has met with an injury and has been scratched. The money has come in a big way for the original 10-1 tip This Is Sparta who is now as short as 9-2. He has similar credentials to New Found Glory and Crawford says: “He ran a good race first time, coming from quite a long way back, and he has shown good improvement at home since then.”

He is still the selection but the value has gone. Bora Bora is also worth considering.  Fayd’Herbe’s mount could be slightly better than his last run would indicate – he didn’t stride out freely – and he now wears blinkers.

By Michael Clower

Picture: Alexis (John Lewis)

The Gr 1 Maine Chance Paddock Stakes has a chance of going back to KZN for the third time in the last four years as the Duncan Howells-trained Same Jurisdiction is deservedly the highest merit rated horse in the race, but a question mark is posed by the combination of the draw of 16 and the distance of 1800m.

Howells duly regards that factor as the only concern and said, “As far as her preparation is concerned, it couldn’t have gone any better.”

The brilliant Mambo In Seattle filly was dropped out from a wide draw in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m, despite it being a field of 15 on a tight course, and her exceptional turn of foot then won her the race. Of further interest was that she was possibly the only horse who won going down the inside that day. She will almost certainly be dropped out again over this longer trip. She was caught late in the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic over this distance at Turffontein last season, despite jumping from a plum draw of two, which suggests the mile is likely her best trip.

However, looking at that SA Fillies Classic performance there are three factors which give reason to believe she will stay the trip on Saturday, despite the wide draw. Firstly, she is a year older and therefore stronger, secondly Turffontein is a tougher course than Kenilworth due to the hill they have to come up around the turn, and thirdly Turffontein is at high altitude which makes it an even tougher test.

The Dennis Drier-trained Beach Beauty won the Paddock Stakes in both 2013 and 2014 and Same Jurisdiction will be hoping to wrest the trophy back for KZN from one of her likely chief market rivals on Saturday, the Mike Bass-trained Trippi filly Inara, who won the race as a three-year-old last year.

By David Thiselton

The Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate had a farcical pace last year and it is difficult to predict how quicker it will be in the 155^th renewal of the prestigious weight for age mile event at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The key horses to the pace could well be Heartland and Noah From Goa.
Heartland is firstly from the same stable as the two likely favourites Futura and Legislate.  Secondly he is owned by Jack Mitchell and his daughter Nancy, who are part-owners of both Futura and Legislate. Thirdly, his likely best chance of winning the race is to take it by the scruff of the neck, as he is 6,5kg under sufferance with the best rated horse Legal Eagle and 6kg and 5kg out with Futura and Legislate respectively. Next, he showed when winning the Listed Jet Master Stakes over this course and distance and when finishing runner up in the Gr 3 Kuda Matchem Stakes over 1400m that he likes to run from a handy position and there is no reason on that evidence that he can’t lead as he doesn’t appear to be a headstrong type.

Lastly, and possibly the biggest factor of all, is that his draw of seven coupled with Futura and Legislate’s draws inside of him of two and six respectively, gives him the ideal chance to go like a hare out of the gates, allowing his two more fancied stablemates to slot in behind him. However, this is where the prediction of how fast they will go becomes tricky.

Presuming Heartland does take the lead and Futura and Legislate manage to secure the box seats behind him, slowing it up will then play right into the latter pair’s hands as they both possess exceptional acceleration. Futura’s turn of foot was the decisive factor in last year’s Queen’s Plate off a slow pace and Legislate’s turn of foot was the decisive factor in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge last year over 1600m at Greyville where he himself set a slow pace.

That is not to say the brilliant pair would not be suited to a fast pace, as they both stay further than the mile.

However, the horse most likely horse to ensure a quicker pace could be the Mike de Kock-trained Noah From Goa, who will be attempting to become only the second three-year-old since Yataghan in 1973 to win the Queen’s Plate, Gimmethegreenlight in 2012 having been the last one to do it. Noah From Goa, who is unbeaten in four career starts on turf, over raced a bit back in October in a MR 74 Handicap over 1450m as Anthony Delpech hit the front early and waited for a horse to come around him, which duly happened. He still won by 6,25 lengths. He had to be reined back again before the turn in his next start in a MR 94 Handicap for three-year-olds over 1450m and once again his fine turn of foot and resolute finish carried him to a comfortable victory of 2,25 lengths over a useful field.

He then had a nice inside draw in the Investec Dingaans and was one again a little bit keen early, but fortunately New Approach took the lead allowing him to sit in the box seat. Noah From Goa one again displayed that fine turn of foot and resolute finish and proved he had the important factor of courage in his armoury too as he emerged victorious after ding-dong struggle down the straight with New Approach. He had a nice draw in the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas over the Queen’s Plate course and distance and Delpech read the race superbly as he bounced him out and made a beeline for the first turn where the two obvious pacemakers in the race, Hard Day’s Night and Budapest, slotted in front of him, putting him in the box seat behind a good pace. Despite going around the turn on the wrong foot, he once again displayed his turn of foot and resolve.

However, considering the way all of these wins have panned out, Delpech faces a bit of a dilemma. From a draw of nine aboard a horse with good gatespeed and early pace, he looks to have little option but to go out hard all the way to the turn.

Last year’s pacemaker Ashton Park led more by accident than design as he is a horse who prefers coming from off the pace. However, as a horse who has always seemed more suited to 1400m and consequently tends to pull over 1600m, his draw of 14 could make him a possible leader if they go slowly from the off. However, this is unlikely considering Heartland would probably want to get on with and Noah From Goa will have to get around him. So Noah From Goa looks likely to be leading at the turn and from there, on previous evidence, the likely best option would be to allow him to stride out in front. Whether he settles in front remains to be seen and of course the wind strength and direction on the day is another factor in the equation as nobody would want to lead into the teeth of a South Easter. Unfortunately, Windguru does predict a fresh to strong South Easterly breeze of between 21 and 26 knots and this might be enough to play havoc with the pace of the race.

The Joey Ramsden pair Act Of War and King Of Pain are two others who could influence the pace. Ramsden was understandably furious after the Gr 2 Lanzerac Alta Mater Green Point Stakes when Act Of War’s hold up and run on plan was scuppered by the second and third horses in the running allowing the eventual winner Captain America a lead of a few lengths despite going at a crawl. Even Act Of War’s exceptional turn of foot was not enough to make up the deficit under those circumstances. It is unlikely there will be a repeat of such riding in a race of the Queen’s Plate’s prestige. However, the yard are unlikely to want to risk Act Of War parking at the back again, despite a wide draw of 14. That said, Act Of War is a completely different horse to Ramsden’s 2013 Queen’s Plate winner Variety Club in that he does not possess a ton of gatespeed or early pace. Nevertheless, Anton Marcus will likely waste no time in going to the front if they go slowly from the off.

King Of Pain’s best career result was when Bernard Fayd’Herbe correctly predicted a slow pace in the 2014 Gr 1 Gold Challenge and took him to the front from where he was too good to be caught by the best milers in the land, which included the like of Beach Beauty, Yorker and Capetown Noir. He showed signs of a return to form when running on strongly for fourth in the Gr 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes over 1200m last time out. The race would have sharpened him up and, with that Gold Challenge victory in mind, Vodacom Durban July-winning jockey Stuart Randolph will likely seize any opportunity to go to the front if it is slow early as he has an ideal draw of five to do so.

Captain America is a big horse who likes to use his big stride, so is usually handy. He proved he can settle in the lead in the Green Point, so is another possible pacemaker from a wide draw of ten.

By David Thiselton
Picture: Heartland (Liesl King)