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.”

Danielson has plenty of natural talent, being a superbly balanced rider with good hands, and his fine record in Gr1 events points to a good ‘big match’ temperament.

However, he has often been seen as one that should be higher on the national log and as he approaches his 30s the signs are that he could soon break through and become a genuine championship contender.

He recently acquired the nickname “super sub” from the Gauteng Tellytrack presenters for his ability to make the most of the opportunities given to him by leading trainer Sean Tarry.

Raymond Danielson winning on The Apache in the 2010 Investec Dingaans (JC Photos)

Danielson currently travels between Gauteng and Port Elizabeth. On December 23 he had six rides at the Vaal and rode four winners, three for Tarry, and in his next meeting on Boxing Day he rode a treble at Fairview, two for his regular yard, Tara Laing, and another for Renate du Plessis, for whom he also rides often.

Tarry said, “Raymond is a good rider, he has plenty of ability, is balanced and always gives a horse a chance. The only thing he has probably lacked is self belief but his confidence is now growing day by day.”

Tarry added that Danielson rode more work than the other jockeys he used. “He has an affinity with horses and usually gets to know them quickly.”

This was illustrated in his relationship with the Gavin van Zyl-trained The Apache, whom he partnered to some notable victories in the 2010/2011 season. He learnt from his first ride on this unimposing colt in the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes and the next time he rode him, in the Investec Dingaans over 1600m at Turffontein, was able to make up ground steadily in the straight before unleashing the kick that the horse was to become known for and which saw him sweeping through to win comfortably, despite odds of 40/1.

He then partnered him to victory in both the Gr1 Daily News 2000, at odds of 16/1, and the Gr1 Champions Cup, where he was backed in to 11/2. Danielson’s victory in the 2011 Champions Cup was the third time in succession he had won the race.  He won it on the Joey Ramsden-trained 25/1 shot Ivory Trail in 2009, beating the mighty Pocket Power, and was victorious in 2010 aboard the Herman Brown-trained 20/1 shot Orbison, who beat the like of Pocket Power and the subsequent Vodacom Durban July winner Bold Silvano.

Danielson is 10th on the National Jockeys log at present with 41 winners at a strike rate of 14,09%. He looks set to surpass his 71 winners of last season, which earned him 16th place on the national log and which was achieved at a strike rate of 11,16%.
More than a few trainers will have noticed his recent confidence and he will likely be even more sort after for big races than he usually is.

Tarry said, “I am disappointed as he was favourite for the Diadem and had a massive chance.”

Carry On Alice’s possible targets are the R1 million Cape Thoroughbred Sales Stakes over 1200m or the Cape Flying Championship on the same day. The Gr1 winning Carry On Alice has been beaten in her last two starts.

However, Tarry said, “She lost nothing in defeat (on December 21 over 1160m) as she gave 3kg to an older Gr1 performer (Not Sulking) and was beaten by only half-a-length. On Summer Cup day she showed that the mile at Turffontein could be a bit too much for her at this stage. She hasn’t lost any of her speed and is going to be competitive in all the sprint features. However, the Gauteng Fillies Guineas hasn’t been ruled out. We will take it race by race.”

His three-year-old colt Zambezi River, who was unbeaten before finishing fifth in the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas, has been down in Cape Town for some time and will go for the R1 million Cape Thoroughbred Sales Stakes.

Tarry did not feel that Zambezi River’s disappointing Guineas run could necessarily be explained by a stamina limitation and said, “He met a lot of trouble on the turn and had not found his stride before being sent for home. At first glance he didn’t stay, but I’m not sure.”

His other charge, the Goldkeeper colt Imperial Gold, ran on well for fourth in the Guineas at long odds.

He said, “I’ve always thought he had quality. On pedigree it’s not a certainty that he stays but the way he has come forward and done his best work late indicates that he does. He will run in the Politician Stakes (Gr3 1800m) and we will see then whether he can go for the Investec Cape Derby (Gr1 2000m).”