Kenilworth is all set for Saturday’s “race of the century”, the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (LQP), which pundits are hailing as the strongest ever renewal of the country’s premier weight for age mile, and the horse who could claim to be the most ignored, Soqrat, is the choice to win.

Soqrat is one of a two-pronged attack by Mike de Kock and his son and assistant trainer Matthew said, “It is a big test for them but they are up to it.”

The bookmakers don’t even rate Soqrat the best of his stable and have him at 7/1 and Buffalo Bill Cody at 9/2.  

Soqrat suffered a “nightmare” 27 hour journey down to Cape Town two weeks before the Grade 1 Cape Guineas, but even that did not stop him winning a strong renewal comfortably.

He has early pace, a superb temperament, a lovely action, a tremendous turn of foot and the resolve to stay all the way to the line. He also has a plum draw of three. However, he is attempting to become only the second three-year-old since 1973 to win the LQP.

The yard couldn’t separate him and four-year-old Buffalo Bill Cody, who gets a half-a-kilogram Northern Hemisphere-bred allowance and traveled down well about two weeks ago.

The Irish-bred has won five of six starts and his three races over a mile have been won by an average of over four lengths. He probably needed his last start too,where he showed a fine turn of foot from a handy position. He could be anything but it is going to be tough jumping from the widest draw of all in his first ever feature start.

The joint-favourite Legal Eagle attempts to join the great Pocket Power by winning this race four times in succession.

Trainer Sean Tarry reckons in terms of ability and current form this will be the strongest field Legal Eagle has ever faced but added, “He is good enough and his preparation has gone according to plan. To have a fair pace would be the greatest thing for such a good race as there would then be no stories afterwards, but if there happens to be no pace Legal Eagle has proven he wouldn’t mind that either.”

Eric Sands has two horses involved, the joint-favourite Rainbow Bridge and Amazing Strike.

It would seem obvious the latter is in as a pacemaker, although Sands was non-committal on this question.

Rainbow Bridge needs a good pace as he becomes unsettled when the pace is as slow as it was in the Green Point Stakes or when he finds no cover. The bookmakers, by making him joint-favourite, are claiming he is able to perform a lot better with a true pace as he is 2kg worse off with all three of the trio who narrowly beat him in the Green Point. He was previously unbeaten in five starts and Sands said, “I would say he is probably now at his peak.” As a horse who can play up before a race, the big crowd might be a concern. However, the sophisticated LQP audience is quieter than the Sun Met one. He is drawn well in four and if everything pans out well this powerful racing machine will be finishing like a train, considering he was the fastest finisher of all in the Green Point despite having over-raced.

Justin Snaith’s imposing Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again looks set, like his father Twice Over, to have a tremendous four-year-old season. His finish in the Green Point proved he is effective over the mile, which is on the sharp side for him. Snaith also runs the only filly in the race, Snowdance, who is unbeaten in two starts over the course and distance, both of them Grade 1s against the girls.

Snaith said, “Do It Again is in very good form and is looking amazing, everything has gone according to plan. Snowdance is very well and was very impressive in her comeback run. She will give the boys a go.”

Snowdance enjoys being handy or in the front so has a tough draw of eight, especially if Amazing Strike does turn out to be a specialist pacemaker. However, if able to relax up there she can produce her tremendous kick and won’t be easy to catch if hitting the front. Do It Again, drawn six, is able to run on from behind.  

Brett Crawford was bullish about his Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Undercover Agent and said, “He has improved this season and is a lot stronger and more mature mentally. He has come on since the Green Point and has done a really good gallop since.”

Joey Ramsden knows all about winning the Queen’s Plate and said about Hat Puntano,“I hope he improves a lot. He hasn’t done a lot since the Green Point. We’ve freshened him up, but he’s a hard horse to judge. He was left flatfooted in the Green Point due to the slow pace, but I don’t know if he has the pace to get up there. It is going to be very hard from his wide draw as you are reliant on what the horses inside of you do.”

The Queen’s Plate has always been the aim for Infamous Fox although trainer Candice Dawson admitted he was up against it on form. She said, “He unfortunately ran disappointingly in his last two runs which was not an ideal preparation but he was coming off African Horse Sickness Vaccines and seems fit and well so we stuck to our guns and are just hoping he gives a nice run.”

Soqrat is selected to beat Legal Eagle with Undercover Agent, Do It Again and Rainbow Bridge next best. Snowdance and Buffalo Bill Cody are difficult to ignore and whoever comes out on top it is truly going to be the race of the century.

By David Thiselton