The first three past the post in last month’s Grade 2 Green Point Stakes will be back to do it again in Saturday’s Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate over 1600m at Kenilworth.
Just 0.45 lengths separated Belgarion, Rainbow Bridge and Cirillo respectively last time so it could prove to be very tight again. The only question is: will they finish in the same order?
Rainbow Bridge had missed his comeback run and was in need of his outing in the Green Point Stakes so improvement can be expected from Eric Sands’ runner.
Belgarion, though, was having his first run since winning the Vodacom Durban July so he also has loads of room for improvement.
This time, however, 2019 winner Do It Again will join the line-up and will be ridden by Anton Marcus.
Sands has opted to run Golden Ducat in the Grade 2 Glorious Goodwood Premier Trophy 1800m where he will be ridden by Warren Kennedy.
Kennedy will also be aboard unbeaten Summer Pudding in the Grade 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m where she will come against a very in-form Queen Supreme for the first time.
The latter won this race last year and Keagan de Melo will be in the irons to defend the title.
The festival runs over two days and Friday sees the running of the Grade 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes over 1200m where Sean Tarry-trained Celtic Sea is sure to start a short-priced favourite.
FEATURE RACE FIELDS
L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE (WFA) (Grade 1)(Weight For Age) R1,000,000 1600m
1 – 5 RAINBOW BRIDGE (A E Sands) L J Ferraris 60.0 – 134
2 – 7 DO IT AGAIN (S J Snaith) A Marcus 60.0 – 133
3 – 6 BELGARION (S J Snaith) R Fourie 60.0 – 130
4 – 4 CIRILLO (S G Tarry) G Lerena 60.0 – 126
5 – 8 SILVER OPERATOR (V H Marshall) K de Melo 60.0 – 109
6 – 3 SOVEREIGN SPIRIT (C Bass-Robinson) A Domeyer 60.0 – 106
7 – 1 HURRICANE HARRY (S J Snaith) R Khathi 60.0 – 99
8 – 2 JET DARK (S J Snaith) G van Niekerk 55.0 – 109
Same Trainer: (2,3,7,8)
CARTIER PADDOCK STAKES (WFA) (Grade 1)(For Fillies & Mares at Weight For Age) R500,000 1800m
1 – 2 QUEEN SUPREME (M F De Kock) K de Melo 60.0 – 126