Futura wins L'Ormarins Queen's Plate

The odds-on favourite Legislate was regarded as a Pick 6 banker by many, but was never really travelling well behind a slow pace and finished well back. However, the owners of the sponsor L'Ormarins, Johann and Gaynor Rupert, in whose Drakenstein Stud colours Legislate runs, still had a great day as those colours had earlier finished first and third in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes. Furthermore, they bred the Paddock Stakes winner, the Mike Bass-trained Inara, who is by their stalwart stallion Trippi.

Gaynor Rupert has done an immense amount for the Queen's Plate and it is now recognised as one of the top-five race meetings in the world, so she thoroughly deserved the success. Furthermore, the day has never seen a bigger crowd and it was awash with the blue and white fashion that it has now become a meeting tradition to wear.

A strong finish

In the Queen's Plate Futura, which started at 6/1, produced a strong finish from last place, but then had to see off a late challenge from the Triple Crown and Sansui Summer Cup hero, the Geoff Woodruff-trained Louis The King. The runner-up is from Gauteng and started as 5/1 second favourite. Another Gauteng horse, the 33/1 outsider from the Sean Tarry yard, Gold Onyx, finished well for third. Futura was bred by Guy Murdoch and gave Crawford his first Queen's Plate winner, deservedly, as he had finished second with Jackson in the last two runnings.

In the Paddock Stakes Inara started at odds of 20/1, despite having finished second to the mighty Majmu in the Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas, and gave Grant van Niekerk his first Gr 1 winner. This improving filly gave a boost to the three-year-old fillies crop as she not only overcame the widest draw of all, but produced a devastating finish to deny the older horses, the Joey Soma-trained Gauteng raider Athina and the Glen Kotzen-trained Jet Belle, respectively.

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