Oisin Murphy riding Balantina at the Breeder’s Cup in California earlier this year. Picture: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images King Charles III of Great Britain has plenty on his plate without having to worry much about a faraway horse race run in his name but, if he were to be briefed on the L’Ormarins King’s Plate in Cape Town, he might be pleased to learn that the 2026 renewal is of the highest quality. South African equine royalty will assemble at Kenilworth racecourse on 10 January to battle it out for a silver salver trophy conferred on the race by Queen Victoria, Charles’s great-great-great grandmother.
Given the blood ties, perhaps the king should pay more attention to the event – though he does usually send along a senior diplomat to say a few nice words. When the final field for the Grade 1 LKP was declared this week, many kings of the local turf and one prince were on the list. No queens or princesses, but a regal gathering, nonetheless.
With an Equus Horse of the Year called Dave The King top of the pile, it’s hard to argue. Jan Van Goyen is named after a landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age of art, but he is very much in line for the throne of champion racehorse of SA. Facile winner of the Cape Guineas, Jan Van Goyen bids to become a rare three-year-old King’s Plate winner and only a second Queen’s/King’s Plate winner for world-famous De Kock Racing.
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Mike and Mathew de Kock’s retained jockey Callan Murray has chosen ante-post favourite Jan Van Goyen – and his 5kg age allowance – over stablemate Dave The King, on whom he recently won the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes against powerful opposition. Both pretenders have The Real Prince, conquerer of theHollywoodbets Durban July, to contend with over the Kenilworth 1600m. Dean Kannemeyer’s lightly raced five-year-old needed a comeback run in the Green Point, when he finished hard on the heels of the front bunch, and should be in monarchial shape.
See It Again, a flying third in the Green Point after a poor start, makes his debut for Justin Snaith – after a quiet Christmas eve move from the stable of Michael Roberts – adding a fourth string to the champion trainer’s LKP bow. Another interesting move on the Snaith front is the booking of British champion jockey Oisin Murphy (probably not sent by Charles) to ride second favourite Eight On Eighteen, who returns to racing after a three-month break following a remarkable and eventful 2025. Eight On Eighteen’s former regular jockey Richard Fourie moves to partner veteran trainer Vaughan Marshall’s appropriately named Questioning, who will be some punters’ choice of a dark horse. 1 Dave The King 60 128 Mike / Mathew de Kock Ryan Munger
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