War Talk? Mike De Kock and Justin Snaith on the draw.
The R1 million Gr 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate barrier draws were announced on 22 December with Guineas winner Variety Club and the sensational Diadem winner What A Winter drawing on the M5 motorway. Trainer Mike Bass must be pondering the racing gods’ mean streak, after his more staying type Chesalon pulled one on the paint and in so doing probably auto-booking his date with white and blue on 7 January.
The 151st renewal of South Africa’s premier mile race has captured the public imagination on all fronts, with personal battles and challenges looming large. The great competitor, trainer Justin Snaith, came out with some fighting talk earlier this week and dropped his line into the deep De Kock waters with an all ladies’ challenge. Will ‘Oom Sakkie’ take the bait and his chances with his Vodacom Durban July winner Igugu, and attempt to settle an old score dating back to the Gr1 Avontuur Estate Fillies Guineas with the Snaith Star, Ebony Flyer? We will know soon.
The young gun Snaith won’t be too thrilled that his filly has drawn 14, but De Kock may see this as an opportunity and supplement Igugu. There is still time with supplementary entries closing at 11h00 on 28 December 2011. Weights will be published on the same afternoon and final declarations close at 11h00 on Thursday 29 December 2011. We can hardly wait!
Quite A Summer! Mike Bass has mixed feelings after the draw announcement.
Trainer Mike Bass may have had his temptation to give What A Winter another chance over a mile quelled by the racing gods’ demonic call of an awful 17 from 18 gate. The old maxim of don’t scratch where it doesn’t itch may apply here, and one wonders why Bass is changing the recipe where the fast food is just plain outstanding. What A Winter is a brilliant sprinter and maybe it is fate that he may now be restricted to a tilt at the Cape Flying Championship before moving on to the international stage?
On the flip side, Bass’ rising star Fort Wood Chesalon probably booked his place in the J&B Met with his recent win in the Gr2 Premier Trophy over 1800m. But this WFA Mile may not be quite as easy pickings, despite a paint scraping 1 draw. He looks a horse eminently suited to the Met trip rather and what a pity his stablemate didn’t have the same luck in the draw lotto.
Recent history shows however that trainers of top-class horses need not be too concerned about a poor draw though. Frankly, if their charge is truly up to the super-horse demands of this wonderful race, then they can win despite a bad barrier gate position. Take the superstar, Pocket Power. At his prime, he could have started at the Youngsfield Military base, and still blown them away. For the record, he picked up his four wins from 2006 to 2010 from draws 13, 8, 3 and 1 respectively. If the draw obstacle is to be the measure of true gallantry, then Joey Ramsden’s brilliant Winter Solstice outstripped Pocket Power. He won it the two previous years from a 15 out of 15 draw, and then a 10 from 11. That is superb stuff, and it underlines Ramsden’s comparisons of Variety Club and Winter Solstice – two horses from worlds apart, but both possessed of phenomenal gate-speed.
Days Of Life! Pocket Power connections celebrate the white and blue.
And oodles of gate speed is what Variety Club will need to overcome his provisional 15 draw! But could it be an omen and fitting that Ramsden sent his best miler ever, Winter Solstice, out from that very gate to pick up his first Queen’s Plate win some six years ago? It was in fact a memorable New Year’s day in 2005 for the mercurial and articulate trainer as he also trained the runner up, Invincible, for Peter and Pirjo Carr. Saturday’s Guineas win may have come close, but it would be interesting to get an angle as to how the Englishman feels about it – but we may have to wait for his biography.
Ramsden had better luck with Lion In Winter who drew 4, but the Jooste owned Green Point Stakes winner Bravura got the worst of the whole lot at 18.
Mike De Kock’s grey Toreador Link Man would be an interesting inclusion in the final field and he has got the lucky 2 ticket. But judging on his defeat by The Apache at Turffontein on Tuesday evening, he is going to need more than a good draw and luck in running to be a serious threat.
For those of you reading up on the recent history of this great race, don’t be confused by a missing year. Nothing sinister, but you will not find a winner in 2008, but two in 2006.This is due to a move from January in 2006, to December in 2006, and then back to January in 2009. Does that make sense?
The full draw listing for the L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE (Grade 1)(Weight For Age) R1-million 1600m:
18 – BRAVURA (J Ramsden)
16 – CAPTAIN’S SECRET (M W Bass)
1 – CHESALON (M W Bass)
6 – CURVED BALL (J Ramsden)
14 – EBONY FLYER (J S Snaith)
11 – FABIANI (G S Kotzen)
3 – GIBRALTAR BLUE (M F De Kock)
8 – GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT (J S Snaith)
5 – KAVANAGH (M F De Kock)
7 – KISS AGAIN (M W Bass)
2 – LINK MAN (M F De Kock)
4 – LION IN WINTER (J Ramsden)
12 – NEVER FOREVER (D R Drier)
9 – RUN FOR IT (J S Snaith)
13 – SPORTS COACH (M W Bass)
10 -TALES OF BRAVERY (V H Marshall)
15 – VARIETY CLUB (J Ramsden)
17 – WHAT A WINTER (M W Bass)
