Jan van Goyen is the only three-year-old in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate field and he is the favourite at 2/1 with Hollywoodbets (Picture: Wayne Marks)
A top class field of 14 will face the starter in the Gr 1 wfa L’Ormarins King’s Plate on January 10 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and there will be only one three-year-old in the line-up, Jan Van Goyen, who has a plum draw of two and he is the 2/1 favourite with Hollywoodbets.
The Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner is regarded by some as special but this race will be his acid test and will tell whether he is the real deal.
He won the Cape Guineas in effortless fashion so it is not surprising that all four of the other three-year-old entries, Happy Verse, Gimmie Rules, Vapour Trail and Good For You, who were all beaten in the Cape Guineas, have not been declared for the King’s Plate. Jan Van Goyen’s Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas win came just two weeks after his win in the Jackpot City Dingaans at Turffontein and it came in the same week as his journey down from Johannesburg to Cape Town. He looks to have a fine temperament, but settling in at Milnerton should nevertheless have aided him. He will also now be having his third run after a layoff. Callan Murray is aboard again.
Jan van Goyen’s stablemate Dave The King comes off a fine win in the Gr 2 WSB Green Point Stakes over the LKP’s Hollywoodbets 1600m course and distance and he has drawn in pole position with Canada-based Ryan Munger taking over from Murr
