Messrs. C.T. Crowe & N. Jonsson's 5-year-two-time defending champion Jet Dark (SAF) is slated to face the undefeated Charles Dickens (SAF) in Saturday's 1-mile R1.5 million L'Ormarins King's Plate (G1) at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town. The race winner will earn an automatic berth into the US$2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. One race prior to the King's Plate, Mrs. S. Viljoen's 5-year-old mare Captain's Ransom (SAF), the 2022 Equus Horse of the Year, leads the 1 1/8-mile R1 million Cartier Paddock Stakes (G1) for a free starting position into the US$2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).
The Cartier Paddock Stakes will be televised live on FanDuel Racing at approximately 8:35 a.m. ET, and the L'Ormarins King's Plate will be televised on FanDuel TV at 9:10 a.m. ET.
Now in its 17th season, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, on Nov. 3-4.
Eleven horses have been entered for the 162nd running of the King's Plate. Jet Dark, trained by Justin Snaith, won last year's race, (previously named the Queen's Plate) by 2 ½ lengths over Kommetdieding (SAF). Jet Dark, a son of Trippi out of the Jet Master (SAF) mare Night Jet, has won eight of 17 starts, which included closing out last season with a successful title defense in the HKJC World Pool Champions Cup (G1) at Greyville at Durbanville on July 30, defeating Kommetdieding by a neck. Jet Dark began this season by taking the Cape Mile (G3) at Kenilworth by 1 ¾ lengths on Nov. 5.
Jet Dark, though, faces a formidable test from another son of Trippi in Drakenstein Stud's 3-year-old homebred Charles Dickens, a winner of all six of his starts since his first race in April 2022. Trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, Charles Dickens won his first Group stake in his fourth start, capturing the 7-furlong Cape Classic (G3) at Kenilworth on Oct. 22. He returned over the course on Nov. 27 and won another 7-furlong allowance before making his most impressive performance to date, coming from far back on the extreme outside to take the Group 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas by 4 ¼ lengths at Kenilworth on Dec. 17.
Drakenstein and Bass Robinson have also entered the 4-year-old Trip of Fortune (SAF), a winner of three of his last four starts. His most recent victory was a 1 ½-length triumph in the World Sports Betting Greenpoint Stakes (G2) on Dec. 3.
The 5-year-old Kommetdieding (SAF), third in the Greenpoint as the 4-5 favorite, is nicknamed “Cape Comet.” He is owned by Ashwin Reynolds and trained by the father-daughter duo of Henry Crawford and Michele Rix. A son of Elusive Fort (SAF), Kommetdieding turned the tables on Jet Dark after losing last year's Queen's Plate by defeating his rival next time out in the 1 ¼-mile World Sports Betting Cape Town Met (G1) but did not win any of his remaining next six starts, including the close loss in the Champions Cup.
Australian-bred Al Muthana, trained by Ricky Maingard, has won seven times in 17 starts, including the Group 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge at 1 mile on June 11 at Greyville by a half-length.
Captain's Ransom Towers over Rivals in Cartier Paddock Stakes
Six-time Group 1 winner Captain's Ransom is the one to beat in the Cartier Paddock Stakes, which drew eight fillies and mares. A winner of 13 of 16 starts for trainer Justin Snaith, Captain's Ransom won last year's Paddock Stakes by a head over Chansonette (SAF), with Marina (SAF) finishing third. Captain's Ransom won three more Group 1 races last season, including a victory over male rivals in the Mercury Sprint at 6 furlongs at Greyville on July 30. She returned to the races on Nov. 16 with a 2 ¼-length win in the 7-furlong Bet With Tab Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth.
Mauritzfontein, and Messrs. M.W. Bass, F. Green, and Byn's 5-year-old Marina (SAF), trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, has won 10 races in her career and has finished first or second in her last four starts.
A daughter of Silvano (GER), Marina followed a second-place finish in the Brentford FC Garden Province Stakes (G1) at Greyville on July 2 with a 2 ¼-length triumph in the Gold Bracelet on July 30. She opened the new season in November by finishing second in an allowance race at Kenilworth but came back on Dec. 17 to win the 1 1/8-mile Hollywoodbets Victress Stakes (G3) by 1 ¼ lengths.
The Hollywood Syndicate's 3-year-old Make It Snappy (SAF) comes into the race with a Group 1 score in just her fourth start, taking the 1-mile World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas on Dec. 3 by 1 ½ lengths at 6-1. That was the third win in four starts for the daughter of Dynasty (SAF), who is trained by Brett Crawford. Make it Snappy broke her maiden in her second start in October at Durban and captured a 1-mile allowance race by 3 lengths at Kenilworth on Nov. 19 prior to winning the Fillies Guineas.
Drakenstein Stud's 4-year-old Rain in Holland (SAF), South Africa's Champion 2-year-old Filly in 2021, also has a Group 1 win among her nine victories. Trained by Sean Tarry, Rain in Holland, by Duke of Marmalade (IRE), captured the 1 1/8-mile Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (G1) by 3 ¼ lengths at Turffontein in Johannesburg last March, which was her second victory during a four-race winning streak. She finished the streak with a 1 ¼-length win in the 4racing Gerald Rosenberg Stakes (G2) on April 30 also at Turffontein.
As a part of the benefits of the Challenge series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the pre-entry and entry fees for the winners of Saturday's races to start in the World Championships. Breeders' Cup will also provide a US$40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 23 to receive the rewards.
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