Variety Club wins the 2013 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (Liesl King)
The eyes of the international horseracing community will be on Cape Town in January 2014, when England’s revered Glorious Goodwood brands a supporting feature event on the day of the 11th running of South Africa’s most prestigious equestrian event, the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.
The L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate is South Africa’s premier weight for age mile and was won in sizzling style this year by dual South African Horse Of The Year Variety Club, who reaffirmed his position as the greatest miler in Africa, when demolishing a top field to win. Variety Club is currently on an international campaign and will thus not take his place in what is shaping up to a star studded entry in 2014. In fact 2014 is likely to be the biggest yet, with the news that the Glorious Goodwood Peninsula Stakes will be the second internationally-recognised race on the card along with the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.
The mile event is the only horserace in South Africa which grants the winner an automatic entry to the Breeders’ Cup, the world’s biggest race-day held annually in the USA. “The L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and Glorious Goodwood are the most prestigious and exciting racing events on their respective continents, so this association is well suited to provide the absolute highest standard of race day entertainment,” says Adam Waterworth, Managing Director of Goodwood Racecourse.
2014 will also be the first year in which the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate race-day card will hold 12 races as opposed to 10, complimented by glamour, fashion, entertainment, competitions and hospitality. South Africa’s foremost horse-racing calendar event, with a purse of R1 million, the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate will celebrate its 11th running on January 11 2014 at Kenilworth Racecourse, Cape Town. The tickets for the LQP went on sale via Computicket on October 10.
