TALES OF BRAVERY : VAUGHAN MARSHALL'S QUEEN'S PLATE CHARGE
Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 07:42AM 
Tales Of Bravery
(Photo : Gold Circle / Summerhill Stud)
L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE (Grade 1)
Kenilworth, Turf, 1600m
8 January 2011
David Thiselton
Gold CircleVaughan Marshall said yesterday that Tales Of Bravery’s preparation for the R1,000,000 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (Grade 1) to be run over 1600m at Kenilworth on Saturday had gone exceptionally well. Tales Of Bravery made a superb start to this season, fulfilling the promise he had always shown in no uncertain terms.
Then on October 30, he met Pocket Power, who was having his first start since the Vodacom Durban July, over the 1500m of the Kenilworth Old Course and beat him by 2,25 lengths despite only receiving 1kg. Furthermore, he beat another Queen’s Plate contender, Super Storm, by 5,5 lengths and will face that one on 1,5kg better terms on Saturday.
His next start was in the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes over the 1600m of the Kenilworth Old Course, where he started joint favourite with Pocket Power at level weights. Pocket Power reversed form, beating him into fourth place by 2,5 lengths. He was also beaten by Queen’s Plate contender Past Master, by 0,75 lengths.
However the disappointing effort was explained when he scoped dirty and was found to have been suffering from a lung infection.
“That’s all behind him now,” said Vaughan Marshall, whose best finish in the Queen’s Plate was in 1997 with La Fabulous, who finished fourth behind the great London News.
He rates Tales Of Bravery as better than La Fabulous.
Asked on whether he felt Tales Of Bravery had the class to win the Queen’s Plate, he replied, “I most certainly do.”
Tales Of Bravery is the forgotten horse of the race, with the top four in the betting; Pocket Power, Mother Russia, Ebony Flyer and Past Master being all the rage among the analysts.
If there is to be an upset he will be the one to provide it, but in the aftermath it might not actually be much of a surprise at all.
L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE
CURRENT BETTING
| # | Horse | Current | Opening |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | POCKET POWER | 5/2 | 5/2 |
| 14 | MOTHER RUSSIA | 3/1 | 33/10 |
| 15 | EBONY FLYER | 4/1 | 4/1 |
| 2 | PAST MASTER | 5/1 | 7/2 |
| 4 | TALES OF BRAVERY | 10/1 | 10/1 |
| 3 | TROPICAL EMPIRE | 25/1 | 16/1 |
| 10 | RUSHING WIND | 33/1 | 20/1 |
| 12 | SUPER STORM | 33/1 | 25/1 |
| 5 | BLUE TIGER | 40/1 | 33/1 |
| 6 | CAPTAIN’S SECRET | 40/1 | 25/1 |
| 9 | FABIANI | 50/1 | 50/1 |
| 8 | CELTIC FIRE | 66/1 | 50/1 |
| 7 | CASEY COOL | 80/1 | 40/1 |
| 11 | TIME AND LOVE | 100/1 | 66/1 |
| 13 | AMERICAN MAN | 150/1 | 100/1 |
Courtesy of Betting World - Correct as at 6 January 2011 07:00
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