With seven winners, including a feature treble, the Snaith Racing Team rounded off the 2021 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Festival in style as the shadows lengthened over Kenilworth on Saturday, when the improving stayer Silver Host ran out an impressive winner of the R150 000 Okapi Gr3 Chairman’s Cup.
Richard Fourie and Silver Host round off a great two days (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The Snaiths are well-known for grandstanding their prized armoury on the big days, and would have looked back with some satisfaction on a plan come together – particularly with the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate silverware on its way back to the Cape Flats, from Adam Marcus on the West Coast.
The final event of the two day festival was run over 2500m on conditions terms, and saw the East Cape raider Atyaab being obliged to make his own pace, in a province notorious for a canter-and-sprint approach over the staying trips.
But Warren Kennedy and the Zietsman Oosthuizen-trained 5yo had expected the dawdle and looked comfortable as they led the way for most of the trip.
However, despite a bold forward move at the top of the straight, Atyaab (12-1) came under fire from Kannemeyer’s Azores (8-1) and the stalking Silver Host (2-1) in the final stages.
Despite coming under pressure, Atyaab managed to rally back in a Golden Ducat type move, to regain second as Silver Host powered home to give Richard Fourie his third winner of the day, as he stayed on best by 2,25 lengths in a time of 159,53 secs.
The good-looking grey Azores maintained his consistent form to run third.
Stayer on the up – Silver Host proudly shows his blanket (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Silver Host is a son of champion Silvano (Lomitas) out of the French Deputy mare Hosta – a US-bred half sister to Gr1 winner Colstar (Opening Verse). He is thus a half -brother the 2015 Gr2 Diadem Stakes winner Lanner Falcon (Trippi), who raced out of the Bass yard.
Bred by Drakenstein, and raced in partnership by the top breeders, with Queen’s Plate winning owner Nic Johnsson , nd the Estate of the late Jack Mitchell, Silver Host was a R2,6 million National Yearling Sale graduate.
He has earned R329 950 with 4 wins and 3 places from 12 starts.
