“This is what racing is all about,” declared Anton Marcus after landing a seventh L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The four-time champion was talking more about all Gaynor Rupert and her team have done to make the day a memorable occasion but for all those watching, not just on course but on TV around the world, this race was the sort of inspiring stuff that lifts the sport to its very heights.

A carefully, and skilfully, thought-out plan to beat the unbeatable was played out to the full and it so nearly came off. With a furlong to run the long-striding Captain America was still over three lengths clear with Legal Eagle under pressure and making ground but not fast enough, or so it seemed.

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

It was only well inside the last 50m, when the leader was visibly tiring and several others were bearing down on him like the hounds of hell closing in on a kill, that Legal Eagle looked sure to win the race for the third successive year, justify odds of 7-10 and stretch his unbeaten mile run to eight.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Captain America but it’s a fine line,” said Marcus. “You can’t challenge him too early but if you let him slip you are not going to get to him. I wasn’t sure [that I was going to] but I have a lot of faith in my horse and I was hoping.”

In the end it was 50-1 shot Copper Force who snatched second but Corne Orffer, who had ridden such a bold and imaginative race, reckoned he might well have won had he been allowed to dictate the way he had planned.

“It Is Written came up to me early and as a result I had to conserve my horse’s energy a bit longer than I wanted,” he explained. “If he had left me alone I might just have done it.”

Sean Tarry, confirming that a third tilt at the Sun Met is next for the winner, paid tribute to both horses, saying: “Captain America did everything right and it was a massive effort by Legal Eagle to come and fetch him.”

The Avontuur-bred six-year-old is by the 2004 Durban July winner Greys Inn and new owner Braam van Huyssteen was understandably thrilled (“What a privilege to be here to win my first Group 1”) as was part-owner Billy Henderson who had flown from Australia for the race.

The bookmakers reacted yesterday with Betting World pushing out Legal Eagle from 3-1 to 15-4 joint favourite with Last Winter for the Sun Met. Marinaresco’s price has more than halved to 4-1, Sail South has been cut from 33-1 to 16-1, Peninsula winner Eyes Wide Open from 80-1 to 16-1 and Copper Force from 66-1 to 25-1. Drifters include African Night Sky (6-1 to 17-2), Gold Standard (15-2 to 10-1) and Nother Russia (12-1 to 16-1).

Legal Eagle carried the colours of Markus Jooste when second in the last two Mets and Brett Crawford, who beat him with Whisky Baron 12 months ago, is already planning how to do it again.

He said: “We tried to steal the race on Saturday and it ended up costing us second place but I thought it was the only way we could be beat Legal Eagle over a mile. We already know that he is vulnerable over ten furlongs and on 27 January we won’t have to ride Captain America like we did this time.”

Crawford, incidentally, confirmed that the Hong Kong-bound Edict Of Nantes has already left his stables and will be scratched from the Met.

By Michael Clower

Candice Bass-Robinson and Aldo Domeyer have long maintained that Dutch Philip is a sprinter and the What A Winter colt went quite some way to proving their point when he dropped back from the 1 400m of the Cape Classic to take second to Silicone Valley in the World Sports Betting Cape Merchants (a Grade 2 handicap) at the beginning of last month and it will be fascinating to see how he fares against top sprinters like Trip To Heaven and Search Party in the Grade 2 Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday 13 January.

Dutch Philip (Liesl King)

Dutch Philip is comfortably the highest rated of the four three-year-olds in the race although he is 4.5kg below Trip To Heaven who was a most convincing winner of this 1 200m race last year. But Search Party and Sergeant Hardy are officially considered only 1.5kg above him. Search Party was third in last year’s race and second in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint in July while Sergeant Hardy won the Listed Southeaster Sprint just before Christmas.

The race, which has been won by some real stars in the past, will again see some hot competition with Grade 1 winners Talktothestars and Always In Charge also in the line-up.

Khaya Stables has also raced a number of stars including Capetown Noir who won both the Cape Guineas and the Cape Derby. Its present big name horse is Last Winter who is second favourite for the Sun Met.

Those on course will be eligible for a number of lucky prize draws, including a chance to win tickets for the Met. Call 021-797 6037 for hospitality inquiries.

By Michael Clower

Final field and draws for the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes (Grade 2) over 1200m at Kenilworth:

So, just how good is Snowdance? Stable companion Oh Susanna, best of the rest when Snowdance annihilated the Fillies Guineas field, put the star older fillies to bed in Saturday’s Cartier Paddock Stakes.

Justin Snaith, winning his fourth Paddock in 11 seasons, said: “I think you know the answer but I did say at the time of the Fillies Guineas that if anything could beat Snowdance it was this one.”

Snowdance now goes for the Klawervlei Majorca on Met day but seemingly there will be no rematch with Oh Susanna. “It is not up to me – it will be a team decision – but going back to a mile wouldn’t be the right thing to do. Oh Susanna will go to Durban.”

Oh Susanna (Liesl King)

Grant van Niekerk, who also won this in Gaynor Rupert’s colours on Inara three years ago, said: “I was basically a passenger. When I pulled her out she quickened clear and she kept going. If anything had come to her she would have quickened again.”

He and Snaith each won a third of the 18 races over the two-day meeting and he said: “When you are riding for Snaith Racing on big days you come with confidence because you know the horses will be ready.”

The trainer responded, saying: “Grant has a quirk about himself – a certain way that he handles things – but he is such a good young jockey and horses run for him.”

They certainly do even though his all-consuming will to win sometimes takes precedence over keeping them straight and, as a result, he is almost as familiar with the boardroom as he is with the winner’s box. He got another ten days for interference on Friday and has resolved to bite the bullet straightaway, starting the suspension on Wednesday. He was also fined R2 500 for raising his arm in triumph before he reached the line on Oh Susanna.

Second-placed Lady In Black, fourth to Snowdance in the Fillies Guineas, will also miss the Majorca. “She needs further so I didn’t enter her,” Dennis Drier explained.

Nightingale ran way below form and finished with only two behind her, with Anthony Delpech reporting that she was not striding out properly. Gimme Six (11^th) was squeezed early in the straight while Wind Chill (eighth) lost a front shoe.

By Michael Clower

…after what is going to be fantastic racing at the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate meeting at Kenilworth on Friday and Saturday.

Abashiri

Abashiri is the selection in the London News, which is a conditions race over 1800m. He has been showing glimpses of his old self this season. Last time out in the Summer Cup he was dropped out to last from a wide draw and proved too be too far back. He sliced through the field with that giant stride of his, but understandably ran out of steam in the closing stages having made up a lot of ground. He now has a plum draw of two and Gavin Lerena is up. The course and distance is ideal and he is second best in at the weights. Matador Man is the best weighted horse. The tough Turffontein Standside 1800m might stretch him, but he is much better drawn than he was when disappointing in the Victory Moon Stakes over course and distance. He should find cover from this draw and can then use his powerful finish to good affect in the straight, as he did when third over this trip at Greyville in the Grade 1 Champions Cup.

The dark horse in the race is the classy Irish-bred filly Cascapedia. She is officially not well weighted, especially as she is in reality still a three-year-old having been bred in Ireland. However, she looks full of class and was impressive over course and distance last time out when stretching away to win easily. She has a good draw and champion jockey Anthony Delpech is up. The Elmo Effect has an impressive stride and has won twice over this trip. He has an ideal pole position draw for his style and should be staying on strongly in the straight, so could be good value for a place. Pagoda ran a good fourth from a similar draw to this tricky one in the Summer Cup. He needs to be well drawn as he does not have good gate-speed but he will be staying on. He is 2kg better off with Coral Fever, who beat him by a short-head in the Summer Cup. Coral Fever was drawn 19 out of 19 in the Summer Cup, so can earn again here from a better draw of eight. Brazuca ran a bit disappointingly in the Summer Cup from a tough draw.

Brazuca

He has a better drawn here and runs well fresh, but it going to be tough giving 2kg to Abashiri and 2,5kg to Matador Man. Girl On The Run won the Victory Moon from a handy position and made a bold bid from the front in the Summer Cup. She can’t be written off from a fair draw. Bi Pot will also relish the course and distance. French Navy is a Grade 1 winner over this course and distance and can’t be ignored, although his last win was two years ago.

In the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m, Royal Crusade and Majestic Mambo as two-time winners have to give 2kg to the Investec Dingaans runner up Seerite. However, Royal Crusade caught the eye last time as one who switches off well and then when asked the question shows a fine turn of foot and a powerful action. Seerite is a long-striding sort who will love the course and distance having flown for a narrow second from a wide draw in the Dingaans. Majestic Mambo stretched away last time to remain unbeaten in two starts, both over this trip. However, he does have a tricky draw to overcome. Haralan County went close in the Secretariat Stakes over 1400m, although he was receiving 7,5 kg from the classy winner Surcharge. He is progressive and should enjoy this trip. Alshibaa has regular Mike de Kock rider Callan Murray up, but his Dingaans run was disappointing and he still has a bit to prove.

By David Thiselton

The five-month break could find him ring-rusty but Dennis Bosch is in hot form at present and Chantyman showed last term that he has plenty of potential.

He shed his maiden at second time of asking in facile fashion and although unplaced in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes next time out, he was only beaten five lengths by Eyes Wide Open after jumping from a tricky draw over the Greyville mile.

Haddington (Candiese Marnewick)

However, if Chantyman does go ‘missing’ the race turns into a difficult puzzle as there are a number of other runners in with chances.

Bottom weight Gadget Man ran a cracker first up on the poly, beating course and distance specialist Fire The Rocket, and was then arguably unlucky when finding traffic at a crucial stage of his race when going the mile.

He is in receipt of 5.5kg from the year-younger Chantyman and comes from an in-form stable which adds to his appeal.

Top weight Mumsy’s Jet doesn’t know how to run a bad race and was a close-up third over course and distance in tough company last time out. He is also something of a course and distance specialist and with apprentice Ashton Arries claiming he must be in with a shout for the eighth win of his career.

Sunset Eyes made a fair enough local debut and should be all the better for the run and also comes into the reckoning.

Cossack Guard was something of a bookmakers favourite in Cape Town, finishing second in seven of his 13 starts, but given a break and shipped back to home territory he finally got his act together last month when running out a comfortable winner of his maiden. That form was given a boost when second-placed King’s Command, who was making his debut, made short work of his opposition next time out.

He makes his handicap debut in the opening leg of the jackpot in a field that includes course and distance specialist Fire The Rocket. Doug Campbell’s gelding was never in the hunt in the Chapter Challenge final on the Scottsville turf but is lengths better on the poly and looks an obvious threat to Cossack Guard.

Wayne Bardenhorst has recently moved from a private establishment near Richmond to Summerveld and Ogilvy can give him his first winner out of his new premises. The four-year-old has been much improved since moving to Bardenhorst, finishing third and fourth respectively.

He is under sufferance at the weights but looks capable of further improvement in a field that doesn’t stack up to much.

The well named Ouzo was given a hefty merit rating for his maiden win and is lumbered with top weight in his handicap debut in the eighth. The gelding won third time of asking for Alyson Wright, up with the pace for most of the trip and going on strongly to win comfortably.

Second placed, The Grey Crusader has been luckless and winless so far, but would have a chance in this line-up. Gold Chalice and Zenzero look the most obvious dangers.

A winner of four of his last six races, Haddington has been shrewdly placed by Louis Goosen and has been creeping up the ratings little by little. He’s as game as they come and although ten furlongs would appear to be his optimum trip, two of his recent victories have been over tonight’s course and distance where he has an outstanding chance of rounding off the meeting.

By Andrew Harrison