GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT WINS L'ORMARINS QUEEN'S PLATE
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 08:09AM 
Click above to watch the 2012 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (Grade 1)…
(Photo : Gold Circle - Footage : Tellytrack)
L’ORMARINS QUEEN’S PLATE (Grade 1)
Kenilworth, Turf, 1600m
7 January 2012
The Breeders’ Cup beckons for Gimmethegreenlight (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA) - Yes She Can Cancan (AUS)) who got up in the last 20 meters to beat home 5-2 favourite Variety Club (SAF) (Var (USA) - La Massine (SAF)) and a charging Tales Of Bravery (SAF) (Kahal (GB) - Emperor’s Warning (SAF)) giving trainer Justin Snaith his first L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate win.
This year’s Queen’s Plate carries an automatic free Breeders’ Cup entry for the winner and, although there is a current ban on South African horse exports - due to a percieved African Horse Sickness threat - this comes to an end on 3 May 2012. Opposition from other countries is expected, but owner Hassan Adams has received assurances from the South African government that it will push hard to open the markets.
Snaith said: “Our priority is now to be able to accept that Breeders’ Cup invitation. It’s fantastic to think that the Americans want to see our horses race over there. Gimmethegreenlight has always had the class to win a Grade 1 but he was repeatedly slow out of the gates. That normally means a back problem so we worked on it and that made the difference.”
Jockey Piere Strydom, who returned from a broken jaw two weeks early to take the ride on the 13-1 chance, said: “There was a mad scramble for position early and I got squeezed out. But just under two furlongs out they were coming back to me and I thought I would get close. My worry was that I would get to Variety Club but not pass him but close to home he had no more.”
Extract from Racing Post
RACE RESULTS
| # | LBH | Horse | Kg | MR | Dr | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.00 | GIMMETHEGREENLIGHT (AUS) | 55.0 | 108 | 6 | P Strydom | Justin Snaith |
| 2 | 0.40 | VARIETY CLUB | 55.0 | 118 | 10 | A Marcus | Joey Ramsden |
| 3 | 1.40 | TALES OF BRAVERY | 60.0 | 112 | 7 | M Byleveld | Vaughan Marshall |
| 4 | 1.80 | BRAVURA | 60.0 | 113 | 11 | G Hatt | Joey Ramsden |
| 5 | 5.80 | CHESALON | 60.0 | 110 | 1 | K Neisius | Mike Bass |
| 6 | 5.90 | EBONY FLYER | 57.5 | 107 | 9 | F Coetzee | Justin Snaith |
| 7 | 6.20 | KISS AGAIN | 60.0 | 108 | 5 | A Domeyer | Mike Bass |
| 8 | 8.45 | GIBRALTAR BLUE (IRE) | 57.5 | 109 | 3 | A Delpech | Mike de Kock |
| 9 | 10.45 | LION IN WINTER | 60.0 | 110 | 4 | B Fayd’Herbe | Joey Ramsden |
| 10 | 12.95 | FABIANI | 60.0 | 107 | 8 | S Cormack | Glen Kotzen |
| 11 | 16.45 | LINK MAN | 60.0 | 111 | 2 | W Marwing | Mike de Kock |
Reader Comments