Eighteen Can Add More LKP Joy For Gaynor Rupert
Eight On Eighteen is pictured winning the Gr 1 Splashout Cape Derby (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Gaynor Rupert described Charles Dickens’ win of the L’Ormarins King’s Plate in 2024 as the best day of her racing career and not surprisingly, because a superstar colt that she had both bred and owned had just won the race which had come to be known by some as “Gaynor’s race”, due to the way she and her L’Ormrins team had transformed the L’Ormarins King’s Plate meeting from an ordinary Gr 1 race day into the Royal Ascot of South African racing.
The first big result for Gaynor in her own race was when Jet Dark won it in 2021, because she was bred by her stud farm, Drakenstein Stud.
Jet Dark then repeated the feat in 2022, before the Drakenstein Stud-homebred Charles Dickens powered home in 2024.
Fittingly, both Jet Dark and Charles Dickens are by Trippi, who is the force which has enabled Drakenstein to win three owners’ championships and two Breeders Championships in just over 20 years of being in operation.
Jet Dark and Charles Dickens are now both standing at Drakenstein and will hopefully continue the now retired Trippi’s legacy.
Drakenstein are breeders of three of the LKP runners on Saturday, Eight On Eighteen (Lancaster Bomber), See It Again (Twice Over) and Sail The Seas (Vercingetorix).
However, Eight On Eighteen will add yet another LKP accolade to Gaynor’s burgeoning achievements in the prestigious weight for age mile, because he is part-owned by her husband Johann and was in fact the first horse Johann ever owned.
Furthermore, Eight On Eighteen is by Lancaster Bomber, who has proved to be a big loss to Drakenstein Stud after his untimely passing.
Lancaster Bomber’s only two crops have done phenomenally well and among them are five Gr 1 winners.
Eight On Eighteen will be a worthy successor to Lancaster Bomber in the breeding shed. He is already a three-time Gr 1 winner and could join the greats if he progresses further, as expected, this season.
All three of the Drakenstein Stud-breds in the King’s Plate are trained by Justin Snaith.
Eight On Eighteen comes in fresh, having not run since his narrow second in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
He would prefer further, but was second to last year’s King’s Plate winner, One Stripe, in the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, so he is definitely effective over a mile.
He jumps from draw seven and British Champion Jockey Oisin Murphy rides.
Johann Rupert owns Eight On Eighteen together with Nick Jonsson, who also owns See It Again.
P6 And World Pool Feast For LKP Fans
Crowds riveted to the action on L’Ormarins King’s Plate day (Picture LKP)
The L’Ormarins King’s Plate meeting is a “Full” World Pool meeting, meaning there will be World Pool betting on every one of the ten races.
World Pool betting ensures massive pools on the Tote for the five bet types offered, Win, Place, Swinger, Exacta and Quinella (first two in any order).
The meeting features the country’s oldest race, the Gr 1 wfa L’Ormarins King’s Plate, which had it’s inaugural race in 1861.
There are six Graded races at the meeting, three Gr 1s, two Gr 2s and one Gr 3.
All three of the Gr 1s are weight for age events and all three of them are “win and you’re in” Breeders Cup events.
The L’Ormarins King’s Plate winner gets automatic entry into the Gr 1 Breeders Cup Mile.
The Cartier Paddock Stakes winner gets automatic entry into the Breeders Cup Filly And Mare Turf.
The winner of the World Pool Cape Flying Championship gets automatic entry into the Breeders Cup Turf Sprint.
The six Graded races actually form the six legs of the Pick 6 and this bet is always worth taking on big days as the pool always reaches a decent size.
The first leg of the Pick 6 is the Gr 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes over 1200m. Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas winner Quickstepgal carries a 2kg Gr 1 penalty. She was beaten 1,75 lengths over 1400m in her penultimate start by Princess Of Gaul, who carries a 1kg penalty as the winner of Gr 2s over 1200m and 1400m. However, Quickstepgal likely needed the latter race and beat Princess Of Gaul by 2,50 lengths in the Guineas. Quickstepgal had fine form in KZN too from 1200m to 1400m. Mia Moo is the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint reigning champion and come off a Listed win over 1160m. Mon Petit Cherie has blossomed into a classy sort and is a runner. Symphony In White and Lowveld Lily could be considered for wider permutations.
In the next leg, the Gr 2 Antonij Ruper Premier Trophy over 1800m, Okovango and Native Ruler are the best weighted pair according to offical merit ratings and should fight it out with preference for the latter as he is drawn in pole and has been more eyecatching. Regulation is progressive and he can be considered too from a good draw, despite officially being 7,5kg under sufferance.
In the Cartier Paddock Stakes defending champion Double Grand Slam will go close from draw five out of ten. She comes off a win over 1600m and British Champion jockey Oisin Murphy is up with Andrew Fortune being jocked off. However, Fortune still has a fine chance aboard Double Grand Slam’s stablemate Wish List. This Legislate filly was finishing well from a wide draw in the Cape Fillies Guineas (CFG) for a two length third and on pedigree will relish the step up in trip. She has yet another tough draw of eight. Reet Petite finished strongly in the CFG and it appeared her loss by 0,75 lengths was only because she ran out of real estate. From pole position and with Richard Fourie up she is the choice to win over a step up in trip she should enjoy on pedigree. Rainbow Lorikeet is a reliable sort and is sure to thereabouts again from a good draw. Red Palace was runner up last year, but needs to bounce back from a shocker last time and that won’t be easy from the widest draw of ten. Her stablemate Keukenhof came from last in the Cape Fillies Guineas and was only 3,90 lengths back at the line and will relish the step up in trip. Sukhumvit was impressive last time out when romping home in the Gr 3 1Voucher Victress Stakes over 1800m. She will now be 9kg worse off with the 3,25 length runner up in that contest, Rainbow Lorikeet, so on paper the latter has her measure, but Sukhumvit has just never got going in her career and now that she is coming into her own she could be the surprise package from draw seven. Minogue is in tremendous form and tries a trip for the first time that she is actually bred for, so has a fine chance too from draw six.
Gr 1 Mercury Sprint winner Buffalo Storm Cody is unbeaten in three starts this season and is the highest rated horse in the country on 132, so will take a power of beating in the Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship. He is drawn 13, so hopefully there is not the bias towards the low draws that there has been on occasion. If there is a bias towards low draws then the second highest rated runner, Tenango, will not actually be favoured by barrier one because he is a hold up horse with a terrific finish and will have traffic problems if the field track over towards the inside. I Am Giant is drawn two and is one who likes to relax in midfield before unleashing his powerful finish. Asiye Phambili will love this distance and will be hoping the gaps open for her from a likely midfield position from draw five. Truth and Snow Pilot both have good pace and are outsiders to consider. Costellation is officially way out at the weights but this three-year-old is relatively unexposed and is on the up. Lucky Lad is a twice Gr 1-winning sprinter and although he might need luck from draw three he will enjoy the normal furious pace of this race. Richard Fourie is aboard Gr 1-winning three-year-old filly Direct Hit, whose first career defeat in six starts was last time out when beaten 2,60 lengths over this course and distance by Asiye Phambili. She was only half-a-kilogram worse off than weight for age in that race, so is up against it with Asiye Phambili here, but that was also her second run after a layoff and she could bounce back.
In the King’s Plate Jan Van Goyen could be something special and will take a power of beating from draw two. The Real Prince can turn it on in fine style and will be a threat. Gladatorian is way better than his last run when unusually strong on the bit and if bouncing back to his best he will be a big runner. See It Again is fresh and a big runner if able to produce his best. Dave The King is always dangerous if able to dictate due to his long run in. Garrix impressed last time and must be a runner too and outsiders to consider are Cosmic Speed and Fire Attack.
The last leg, the Gr 3 Cape Of Good Hope Chairman’s Cup over 2500m, is tough but the trio who make most appeal are Holding Thumbs, Ahead Of The Facts and Triple Time.
Snaith Will be Hard To Beat In Trainers Championship
The Justin Snaith team could prove a formidable force again this season (Picture: Wayne Marks)
The national trainers championship is particularly intriguing this season, because it is closer than it was last season at this stage and the R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July also has the potential to bring about a dramatic change in the standings in just one race.
Last season Justin Snaith was well over R7 million clear of his chief rival for the title every season, Sean Tarry, at this same stage, while another perennial contender, Mike de Kock, was R8 million behind and the championship-winning Peter yard were more than R6 million behind.
This season Snaith is only about R2.8 million clear of both Peter and Tarry and the Mike and Mathew De Kock yard are less than R100,000 behind the latter pair.
Snaith has an even money chance, with Hollywoodbets, of adding R593,750 to his tally with Double Grand Slam in the Gr 1 R1 million Cartier Paddock Stakes on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Tony Peter has a 25/20 chance of adding R890,625 in the Gr 1 World Pool Cape Flying Championship with the highest rated horse in the land, Buffalo Storm Cody.
The De Kocks have a 2/1 chance of adding a big R1,781,250 to their tally with Jan Van Goyen in the Gr 1 L’Ormarins King’s Plate (LKP).
Of course there can be upsets and the De Kocks also have the 10/1 chance Dave The King in the LKP, while the Snaiths have a strong hand with 5/1 chance Eight On Eighteen and 6/1 shot See It Again as well as 10/1 chance Sail The Seas and 33/1 chance Legal Counsel.
Sean Tarry has the 33/1 Cosmic Speed in the LKP and he could be fair value as he is a Gr 1 weight for age winner over a mile and has champion jockey Gavin Lerena up. His form in the Gr 2 WSB Guineas and Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over this 1600m trip also puts him close to Sail The Seas, Eight On Eighteen and See It Again. Cosmic Speed was a 2,95 length tenth in the Gr 2 Ridgemont Green Point Stakes but that was his second run after a five-and-a-half month layoff and his first run in Cape Town, so he was entitled to need it.
In the Cape Flying Tarry has the 25/1 and 67/1 outsiders Lucky Lad and Quantum Theory.
Snaith has the 20/1 shot Snow Pilot, while the De Kocks have the exciting three-year-old Constellation, who is rated a 25/2 chance.
In the Paddock Stakes Snaith also has the 25/2 shot Wish List and the 33/1 chance Little Suzie.
The Gr 1 wfa WSB Met carries a R5 million stake and Snaith could get a massive boost towards retaining his championship in that race.
He has the defending champion Eight On Eighteen, who will be hard to beat.
Eight On Eighteen will have some competition from a plethora of stablemates i.e See It Again, Sail The Seas, Regulation, Happy Verse and Native Ruler.
Dean Kannemeyer will have a strong hand in the Met with the Hollywoodbets Durban July winner The Real Prince and his talented full-brother Gimmie Rules. Kannemeyer does not have the numbers to be a fancied championship contender, but he does have a lot of quality and as he has the potential to do the Met/July double he has to be an outsider to take note of.
Tarry’s Met challenge relies on Legend Of Arthur, who has been disappointing since his SA Derby win, and Cosmic Speed, who might be stretched by the 2000m trip, although this Querari gelding’s dam is by Silvano, which makes it interesting.
The De Kock’s Dave The King will be stretched by the Met trip.
Tarry’s perennial opportunity to plunder comes in the Highveld feature season and the De Kocks and Peter could also rake in a lot of stakes money there.
Tarry has an exciting unbeaten three-year-old in the Vercingetorix colt Grand Empire and he has plenty of hard knockers for the Highveld season.
Tarry is famously prosperous at the Holywoodbets Scottsville Festival Of Speed meeting and his promising two-year-old colt Turn It Up, a half-brother to Gr 1 Gold Medallion winner Proceed, is an obvious candidate, as is the like of Mia Moo, who will be out to defend her SA Fillies Sprint crown, while stablemate One Fine Winter will be one of Mia Moo’s chief dangers. The like of Lucky Lad will be a Gr 2 Golden Horse Horse Sprint contender and Tarry is likely to have contenders for the top two-year-old fillies race, the Allan Robertson.
Jan van Goyen is not an entry for the WSB Met and the De Kocks might be eyeing the Highveld Triple Crown events with him.
They have plenty of promising three-year-olds like Miami Mountain, One Eye On Vegas, Constellation, Splittheeights, Trombolines and fillies like Drumnadrochit.
Tony Peter could also have a good Highveld season with his established stars being joined by the like of exciting two-year-old Heath House.
However, the July is going to be the big one and it looks like the Snaith yard will hold the aces for that race with a host of contenders like Eight on Eighteen, Native Ruler, See It Again, Regulation, Okovango, Happy Verse, Legal Counsel, Magic Verse, Randolph Hearst etc.
The Snaith yard have the numbers and the all round strength in all divisions and crucially they are likely to have to have the strongest hand in the July.
Hollywoodbets have them at 4/10 to defend their title and that looks to be a fair price for those brave enough to take it.
Sean Tarry and the De Kocks are at 6/1 and the Peter yard is at 8/1 with James Crawford and Dean Kannemeyer next best on 25/1 respectively.
Vercingetorix Has 16 Graded Race Runners On LKP Day
Quickstepgal will be one of Vercingetorix’s prominent contenders on L’Ormarins King’s Plate day (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Vercingetorix had a record-breaking 23 stakes winners of 33 races last season and could well be on his way to breaking that record considering he has already had nine stakes winners of ten races this season after five months and five days and he has no fewer than 16 runners representing him in the six Graded races at the big L’Ormarins King’s Plate meeting on Saturday.
Many of his runners are fancied too.
His runners and their prices are show below:
Gr 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes (1200m)
Mia Moo 5/1 joint favourite
Quickstepgal 5/1 joint favourite
Princess Of Gaul 6/1 joint second favourite
Stormwatch 20/1
Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Premier Trophy (1800m)
Native Ruler 28/10 favourite
Zeitz 5/1 joint third favourite
Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes (1800m)
Double Grand Slam Evens Favourite
Minogue 17/1
G1 wfa World Pool Cape Flying Championship (1000m)
O’Tenikwa 25/1
Surjay 67/1
Gr 1 wfa L’Ormarins King’s Plate (1600m)
Sail The Seas 25/2
Garrix 25/2
Gladatorian 14/1
Gr 3 Cape Of Good Hope Chairman’s Cup (2500m)
Holding Thumbs 4/1 second favourite
Daimyo 6/1
Magic Verse 25/2
Double Grand Slam was the first Vercingetorix to win the Cartier Paddock Stakes and will be out to retain her crown.
Vercingetorix gelding Rascallion has won the Premier Trophy twice.
Vercingetorix is yet to have a winner of either the King’s Plate or the Cape Flying Championship.
He has not had a winner of the Sceptre Stakes or the Chairman’s Cup either.
Speed Racer Can Follow Up
Speed Racer won a Graduation Plate last time out over 1200m on the poly and races off a four point higher mark in a Middle Stakes event over the same course and distance and is also 2,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted Avernian Goddess according to official merit ratings, but the form of that last win has worked out particularly well and he could follow up here (Pauline Herman Photography)
Fairview Poly Tuesday formguides and Selections
R1 (10) KENTUCKY LASSIE is holding solid form, both her runs have been decent and she looks ready to win. (3) DESERT CLOUD has been consistent and will have a decent chance here, she is the main danger to the top selection. (2) STONE OF SCONE is capable of much better and that last run is best ignored. (1) LAYDELAY ran well on provincial debut and will be a big runner. (Devonne Govender 10-3-2-1).
R2 (4) AMANATTO is knocking on the door and overdue for the win, she will have a big chance here. (3) AM STILL WINNING ran a cracker in the last start and will be a big challenger. (1) INTRO represents KZN form which usually stands up strong here, she has been consistent and needs to be respected. (9) MATTS ROCKET represents Highveld form and can go well here, include in larger perms. (Devonne Govender 4-3-1-9).
R3 (1) BACK FOR MORE has been consistent and will have a massive winning chance. Her last run was a cracker and she has a decent draw so must go into all bets. (4) FLASH LIGHTNING is never far back and will be in the firing line. (6) SUPREME JUDGE placed at big odds and if repeating that run will be in the money. (8) HOLLANDIA BAKKERIJ was an easy maiden winner and has scope to go well. (Devonne Govender 1-4-6-8).
R4 (7) PANNING GOLD ran a cracker on provincial debut and will have a massive chance if reproducing that run here. (9) XPLICIT CONTENT is holding consistent form and will be a big danger. (1) KING VISERYS has a much better draw with the claiming apprentice aboard and will be challenger so respect. (4) PRINCE FLORIAN ran very well in his last start and will be there once again, must include for all bets. (Devonne Govender 7-9-1-4).
R5 Open race, go wide. (5) SPEED RACER won impressively in his last start and is certainly capable of following up here. (1) GOLDEN PAVILION is capable of much better and will have a big chance in this competitive field. (6) AVERNIAN GODDESS is always in the mix, she is capable of a big finish on her day and must be respected. (9) COASTAL PATH hasn’t been far is recent runs and cracks a good draw so will be in the firing line. (Devonne Govender 5-1-6-9).
R6 (2) WISHES AND DREAMS is holding good consistent form and will be the one to beat. (1) SILVA CITY has always been rated by the yard and will be the main danger to the top selection, she has competed in some strong races so deserves respect. (5) HAZE AND SMOKE is another who has been holding good form and can finish in the money but will need to lift to beat the top two selections. (7) GORGEOUS CAPE ran well in the last start and can get into the quartets. (Devonne Govender 2-1-5-7).
R7 (2) IZANAMI ran extremely well from a tough draw in her last start, another bold showing can be expected. (5) POMEROL is holding form and will be a challenger here, include in everything. (9) CITY OF DREAMS was narrowly beaten in her last start and another decent run is on the cards, big winning chance. (7) PENNY’S WORLD ran well when finishing 3rd and now gets Craig Zackey, huge runner. (Devonne Govender 2-5-9-7).
R8 Open looking race. (7) SESAME has consistent Cape form and will have a big winning chance on provincial debut, Cape form stands up strong in the province and could pay to follow Sesame here. (3) OLIVE OYL ran a cracker in the last start and will be in the firing line once again. (9) CANFORD QUEEN was narrowly beaten in the last start and will run another big race. (5) SPOIL YOURSELF placed at big odds and if repeating that run will be in the mix. (Devonne Govender 7-3-9-5).
Hawwaam Gets A Double Boost Through Foudre And Ferryman
Equus Champion broodmare Halfway To Heaven, pictured at her Wilgerbosdrift Stud home, had three multiple Gr 1 winners with her first three foals (Rainbow Bridge Hawwaam, Golden Ducat) and she looks set to be back on the feature race radar soon with Foudre and Ferryman (Picture: Wilgerbosdrift Stud)
Cape Breeders
Wilgerbosdrift’s homebred champion Hawwaam had a further boost to his pedigree page on Sunday.
Not only did Hawwaam’s half-brother Foudre make it back to back wins when scoring at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, but Hawwaam’s three-parts brother Ferryman made a highly encouraging debut when finishing second in the first race.
The progressive Foudre made it back to back wins when he ran out a convincing winner of Sunday’s Live It. Love It. Own It. Class 4 (1600m).
Unbeaten since relocating to the Eric Sands yard, the gelded five-year-old kept finding more in the closing stages to score by a neck.
Lightly raced, Foudre has won two of just seven starts.
Sands trained two of Foudre’s illustrious half-brothers, the multiple Gr 1 winner Rainbow Bridge (Ideal World) and the dual Gr 1 winner Golden Ducat (Philanthropist).
A son of Fire Away, Foudre, who races for Khaya Stables, was bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein.
Hawwaam’s outstanding dam Halfway To Heaven looks poised to be represented by her seventh winner soon if Ferryman builds on his smart debut effort.
Sired by Vercingetorix (whose sire Silvano is also the sire of Hawwaam), three-year-old Ferryman was slow away in Sunday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Welcomes You Open Maiden.
Under Keagan De Melo, the Andre Nel trained colt ran on strongly, after the race was over, to get up late and finish second.
The regally bred Ferryman was a R2 800 000 buy from the 2024 National Yearling Sale.
Five time G1 winner, and Equus Champion, Hawwaam, has made a pleasing start to his stud career, with his early runners including the likes of Perfect Miracle, Touched By Angels, Hah Lah Lah, and Delta Pride.
Hewitson And Crawford On The Board
Supreme Sea (Sebring Sun) wins impressively on debut under Lyle Hewitson (Picture: Wallace Wan)
Both Lyle Hewitson and Brett Crawford had single wins at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday.
Hewitson is now on 15 wins for the season and is joint fifth on the log.
Crawford is on nine wins from a mere 84 runs.
Today's Question
FIELDS, Tuesday, 6 January
Today’s Question Answer
The quote is by Tony Stafford (pictured), a former Daily Telegraph racing correspondent, and it appeared in a book he wrote called “Little Black Racing Book.”
