Silence descended momentarily on a sun-drenched Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday when the Australian-bred 5yo Al Muthana upstaged boom 3yo Charles Dickens to win the 162nd renewal of the prestigious R2 million Gr1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
Billed as the race of the decade by host operator Cape Racing, the presence of the previously undefeated Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner Charles Dickens saw unprecedented interest in South Africa’s premier weight-for-age mile contest.
And disappointed we weren’t, despite leaving the bustling course poorer and the fairytale unravelling late in the 1600m contest courtesy of an inspired ride by Bernard Fayd’herbe, who took his personal tally in the magic mile to 6 victories, just 1 short of Anton Marcus.
Fayd’herbe, who was lumbered with a R40 000 fine for exceeding the crop use limit, booted one home for Mauritius and delivered a welcome-home gift to veteran trainer Ricky Maingard as the 5yo former Shadwell-owned Al Muthana, pipped the horse we all wanted to win in the shadow of the post.
Just 0,30 lengths separated the flying gelding and the odds-on Trippi 3yo, with Al Muthana (80-1) clocking 98,22 secs in near perfect Cape summer weather conditions.
Bernard Fayd’herbe incurred the wrath of the Stipes, but got Al Muthana home (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Defending dual champion Jet Dark (7-1) was 1,25 lengths back in third, with Kommetdieding (12-1) running 0,30 lengths back in fourth.
While Aldo Domeyer gave the 5-10 Charles Dickens every chance, and may well have been better off down the middle-outside, it was not to be seven on the trot and the Drakenstein home-bred produced a great performance as he left the track for his Milnerton home base with his ego dented, but his reputation intact.
The King’s Plate was presented by British High Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson, to the elated winning connections.
The beleaguered Mauritius racing’s loss is Cape racing’s gain and while trainer Ricky Maingard has only started with eleven odd horses, the win will be a massive boost for the man who provided such thrills with the champion Wolf Power all those decades ago.
Bernard Fayd’hereb and Ricky Maingard are all smiles after the big win (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Formerly raced by Shadwell, Al Muthana has won 8 of his 18 starts, including the 2022 Hollywoodbets Gr1 Gold Challenge, with 3 places for stakes of R2 692 375.
A Shadwell home-bred half-brother to Gr2 winner Wawail, Al Muthana was foaled and raised at Yarraman Park and is by smart sprinter Deep Field (Northern Meteor) from the Gr2 winning Redoute’s Choice mare, Daana.
Watch the replay here
