The brilliant but so-temperamental Cloth Of Cloud has her first race since winning the SA Nursery over eight months ago in the Fairview Wines Sophomore Sprint at Kenilworth on Saturday.

S’Manga Khumalo, doubtless prepared for the filly to slam on the brakes as she hits the line, also partners Trip To Heaven for Sean Tarry in the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes when Mercury Sprint winner Red Ray returns to take on fellow Grade 1 winners Gulf Storm and Talktothestars in the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes.

Nine of the 13 runners in the Diadem are also in the Betting World Cape Flying Championship a fortnight later. That race is also the prime objective of Carry On Alice who possibly saw more daylight than planned when disputing it from halfway and being unexpectedly beaten in last Friday’s Cartier Sceptre Stakes.

“No real excuses and we took it on the chin,” said Tarry. “It was a matter of being exposed – it’s hard when you are not getting cover – but her target is at the end of the month.”

Live Life, who was almost ignored at 22-1 and carries the Horizon colours, won as if she could be a new star in the sprinting firmament she now goes in search of the real money in the 1 200m CTS $500 000 on Sun Met day.

Candice Bass-Robinson said: “It was a little bit of a surprise but we have long had high hopes for this filly. She has a really bright future.”

However rider Grant van Niekerk could hardly believe it, saying: “Live Life really shocked me. I didn’t think she had much chance but she finished it off in style.”

Glen Kotzen has his early two-year-olds in the same blistering form as the rest of his string and Saturday’s debut winner Namibia was the third of Kenilworth’s seven juvenile races that have gone to him and Richard Fourie this term. The winner and third-placed Ostinato (also Kotzen) will take on Dutch Philip in the Met day Listed race.

It was appropriate that Namibia should be owned and bred by Gaynor Rupert after the decision to turn the Queen’s Plate meeting into a two-day affair proved such a success. The hardened cynics, expecting Friday’s crowd to be little bigger than a mid-week meeting, were pleasantly surprised. Indeed some of them were suggesting that next year’s Met should follow the same lead. It certainly has enough big races to turn it in to a two-day festival.

But back to Mrs Rupert. When she first became involved the Queen’s Plate was not much better attended than an ordinary Saturday and the only non-racing attraction was a few old cars in a tent. The new, and growing year-by-year, format is proving to have huge crowd-pulling appeal and, as many of the overseas visitors testified, is helping to put South African racing back on the world map.

Triple Crown winner Abashiri, returned not striding out after finishing last in the Queen’s Plate, has been scratched from the Met.

By Michael Clower

The impeccably bred first season stallion Crusade got off the mark at Greyville yesterday when the Belinda Impey-trained filly Miss Millionaire won the first race over 1000m on her debut under Alec Forbes.

KZN Breeder’s former chairman Koos de Klerk was on course and confirmed the Scott Brothers-based USA-bred sire remained KZN’s big hope.

Miss Millionaire led from the off and kicked on to win by 1,25 lengths at odds of 7-1 for Pat Gounden, Joe Jacobs and EH Seedat.

She was bred by Bruce le Roux and was bought at the Sibaya Yearling Sale last year for R70,000. Impey went into the race confident as Miss Millionaire had been working well at home. She confirmed Crusade’s progeny have precocious speed and believed they would mostly be sprinters. This has been the opinion of most trainers.

Robin Scott, who describes Crusade as a “big, strong stallion”, has always believed he would produce horses with precocious speed who would train on and perhaps stay further in time.

However, he had expected them to predominantly be sprinters and Scott Brothers had planned their own matings with that in mind.

On Saturday the Candice-Bass Robinson-trained Crusade filly Romantic Crusade finished second in a hot Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m at the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate meeting. She has also finished second on debut and won’t be long in winning.

Crusade, who is by Mr. Greeley, won the Gr 1 Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket as a two-year-old for Aiden O’Brien and was retired after only one run as a three-year-old.

His dam La Traviata is something of a phenomenon. She had only four starts, all as a three-year-old, and won the first three of them from 5,5 furlongs to 6 furlongs by a combined margin of 27,5 lengths. In the last of those victories, in the Gr 3 Victory Ride Stakes over six furlongs at Saratoga, she stumbled at the start yet still won by 9,25 lengths. As a broodmare she has produced two Gr 1 winners and a Gr 1 placed horse from her first four foals to have raced.

La Traviata acquired her speed from her sire Johannesburg, whom Aiden O’Brien sent out seven times as a two-year-old and he finished the season unbeaten. His seven victories included four Gr 1s from six furlongs up to 8,5 furlongs. Johannesburg had an exceptional turn of foot.

At the National Yearling Sale last year Crusade’s 21 lots sold at an average of R162,380.

By David Thiselton

Paul Lafferty Racing announced the passing of stable star Harry’s Son via their Facebook page yesterday:

‘It is with great sadness that the stable announces the passing of the stable’s champion, Harry’s Son, on Friday 6th January, 2017.

Harry’s Son experienced unfortunate luck in the running of only his second European race in the Prix Luthier at Deauville on the 17th December, an intended prep run for his return to this year’s Dubai Carnival season. After settling in fourth position from a good break, as the field entered the first turn two furlongs into the race, Harry’s Son was severely cut into from behind, completely severing his superficial tendon and damaging the major flexor tendon and tendon sheath of his right hind leg.

Harry was bandaged on course and sent to the best clinic available, the Grosbois Veterinary Clinic south of Paris. On arrival and after consultation with the attending vet, blood tests were run to establish his suitability for immediate surgery under anaesthesia to re-attach the tendon. As a severe tendon injury, there is not much of a window before the tendon begins to contract so time is always of the essence in such situations. Fortunately, the blood parameters were normal and he underwent successful surgery that night to re-attach his tendon and, of course, to hopefully save his life.

Post surgery, Harry’s wounds had been recovering well and without infection, always a major concern with severe trauma injuries such as his. On Friday 6th January, the clinic decided it was time to change the cast and remove the sutures from his injured tendon, a somewhat delicate procedure on a hind leg and requiring a short operation under anaesthesia. The wound was found to be healing well and the new cast was put in place. However without warning, Harry suffered a cardiac arrest while still under anaesthesia. All efforts to resuscitate him tragically failed.

Harry’s Son was one of those great rarities in racing. From the outset, he had an air of nobility and a wisdom beyond his years. He was always easy to train. It was one of life’s great pleasures to be associated with this remarkable character, and an honour to have been by his side over his racing career. Unfortunately, fate has intervened to deprive South African breeding of an opportunity to share in his unique genes. It is a great loss. And for the stable, Harry is our great personal loss. We will sorely miss you, our dear Harry….’

The Brett Crawford-trained four-year-old Australian-bred gelding Whisky Baron has shortened from 17/2 into 4/1 for the Gr 1 Sun Met after his impressive win in Saturday’s Gr 2 Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Handicap over 1800m at Kenilworth.

He could realistically upset the two above him in the betting, Legal Eagle and Marinaresco, as unlike them he will not have to carry a Gr 1 penalty. Furthermore, he has continually improved since gelding, so is not yet fully exposed.

Meanwhile, the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Gr 3 Politician Stakes winner Horizon looks to be a typically progressive son of Dynasty and proved on Saturday he is better than his 91 merit rating suggests. He could be a runner in the Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby and so can the Politician Stakes runner up Newlands, who was doing his best work late after battling to find a split off the narrow false rail.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Australian-bred Banner Hill defied a lowly merit rating of 81 in the Gr 3 BMW Chairman’s Cup over 3200m to win going away by 0,4 lengths and he will be a contender in the Gr 2 Western Cape Stayers over 2800m on Sun Met day. He was 4,5kg under sufferance on Saturday, but clearly relished the trip. The Justin Snaith-trained Ovidio ran a fine second lugging 62,5kg and will likely make a bold bid to retain his Western Cape Stayers crown.

Kotzen’s two-year-old winner on Saturday, Var filly Namibia, caught the eye and is another one to follow.

By David Thiselton

The five-year-old Sean Tarry-trained gelding Legal Eagle joined the greats at Kenilworth on Saturday by becoming the first since Pocket Power to win back-to-back L’Ormarins Queen’s Plates (LQP).

He is now unbeaten in five starts over a mile, which includes his maiden, three Gr 1 weight-for-age miles and a Gr 2 weight-for-age mile. This is a remarkable feat for a horse who first achieved prominence when romping home to a three-length victory in the Gr 1 SA Derby over 2450m in just his fifth career start.

Pundits who felt he was lucky to be named Equus Horse Of The Year last season, above his J&B Met conqueror Smart Call, will have to now put up their hands and admit he fully deserved the accolade, as the mile has now been confirmed to be his best trip.

With Smart Call now overseas, he will be hard to oppose in the Sun Met.

Legal Eagle’s greatness as a miler can be seen in the way he controls his races from the off. There can be some comparisons between him and the 2013 Queen’s Plate winner Variety Club, a twice Equus Horse Of The Year, who had unbelievable gatespeed and simply controlled the race from then onward.

Variety Club and Legal Eagle were both ridden by the masterful Anton Marcus.

On Saturday Legal jumped as well as usual and there was never a moment before the business end in which he was not beautifully relaxed. The writing was on the wall for his chief rival, Marinaresco, before they had reached the first turn as he was in the box seat and the two ahead of him Midnite Zone and Captain America were going to provide protection from the stiff headwind in the straight.

Marcus was able to sit in Captain America’s slipstream until the 300m mark. Legal Eagle, like Variety Club, then found the gears necessary to take him clear.

He won by 2,25 lengths from the gallant Captain America, a Brett Crawford-trained six-year-old gelding. This was the exact same margin of victory of Variety Club’s win over the Crawford-trained Jackson in 2013.

The Crawford yard also clinched third with another six-year-old gelding, Sail South. The latter has always struck as classy, but his headstrong antics have proved costly throughout his career. Brilliant jockey Richard Fourie had the strength to rein Sail South back into an unfamiliar last place on Saturday. Even then he still over raced a bit, so it was a fine performance to run on strongly, pass Marinaresco, and finish just three lengths behind the winner.

However, Marinaresco, 0,3 lengths further back, was disappointing in fourth.

The six-year-old Jay Peg gelding Silicone Valley proved his versatility by finishing a 4,55 length fifth in just his second attempt at a mile, having finished a half-a-length second in the Gr 2 WSB Cape Merchants over 1200m at the beginning of December.

Legal Eagle will reportedly be leaving the country at the end of the Cape Summer Of Champions season together with the like of Marinaresco, Rabada and Silver Mountain.

Derek Brugman, racing manager to Legal Eagle’s owner Markus Jooste, has done a fine job together with Tarry in managing the horse’s career. Legal Eagle has had his targets carefully picked and his 15 career starts have yielded nine victories. He still looks to have plenty in the tank for overseas.

The three horses who won the Queen’s Plate between Pocket Power’s and Legal Eagle’s victories were the only entires to have won the race since the late great Jet Master’s back-to-back wins in 1999 and 2000. Those three were Gimmethegreenlight, who is already proving himself to be a stallion with a future, Variety Club, who was sadly found to be infertile, and Futura, who had a book of at least 100 mares in his first season at Drakenstein Stud.

The gelding dominance might seem strange for a race which is the most prestigious weight-for-age mile in the country, but is likely due to it being a very hard race for three-year-olds to win. Gimmethegreenlight was in fact the first three-year-old to win it for 39 years.

Gaynor Rupert of the sponsors L’Ormarins can be thanked for turning the Queen’s Plate into the top notch racing event it is today. She has a keen appreciation of the history of the sport of kings and has always tried to bring an English feel to the Queen’s Plate. Racing is an integral part of the British culture and over there the horse as an athlete, coupled with socialising, are central to most meetings.

This year’s effort in making the Queen’s Plate into a two day festival was another fine innovation. The Friday garden party looks set to become an integral part of the event’s tradition. The bond between racing purists and the Queen’s Plate will likely become stronger and stronger in a climate where turnover is paramount.

By David Thiselton