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Kenilworth Racecourse is the venue for the 152nd renewal of South Africa’s premier mile race, the weight for age, R1 million, Group 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate on Saturday.

Not to be outdone, the fillies and mares will be locked in a battle of their own in the weight for age, R1 million, Group 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m.

The Queen’s Plate has a history of high quality fields and this year is no different with the line-up including reigning Horse of the Year and Champion miler Variety Club, Champion Sprinter What A Winter and 2012 Vodacom Durban July winner, Pomodoro.

The Queen’s Plate may be the last chance to see Variety Club on South African shores as his connections hope to embark on an overseas campaign with the current export ban expected to be lifted in May.

Despite being a short priced favourite, Joey Ramsden’s chestnut colt is not a racing certainty, having drawn out wide in barrier 15. By European and French Champion Sprinter Var (USA), Variety Club has incredible gate speed, which has caused headaches on occasions for jockey Anton Marcus, as he finds himself the reluctant leader within a couple of strides. This time however, Marcus is counting on precisely that gate speed to overcome the wide draw.

Variety Club has won his last five starts culminating in a dominant victory in the Group 2 Green Point Stakes (1600m), where he blew away a very classy field to win by 2.50 lengths, easing down.

Jackson, favourite for the Group 1 J & B Met on February 2nd, finished behind him that day and the order is unlikely to be reversed come Saturday.

Mike Bass, trainer of Sprint Champion What A Winter, is no stranger to the Queen’s Plate, with the legendary Pocket Power rewriting history by winning the race four times under his care. While What A Winter has been contesting the sprint distances of late, he did win the Group 2 Selangor Cup over the Kenilworth 1600m as a three-year-old. Unfortunately, the draw was also unkind to the Western Winter entire and he jumps from barrier ten. Bass confirmed that it would be very hard to come from off the pace on the fast running Summer course.

Winner of the Group 1 Vodacom Durban July (2200m), Pomodoro, surprised all when he won a sprint over 1160m at Turffontein in November. His main aim however is likely to be the Group 1 J & B Met and trainer Sean Tarry admitted that while he thinks his colt is something special, Variety Club is probably the better miler.

In the Group 1 Paddock Stakes, the superbly talented Beach Beauty, from the stables of Dennis Drier, will renew her duel with old enemy Thunder Dance. A slow pace was Beach Beauty’s undoing last year and she was caught close to the line by a flying Thunder Dance.

Beach Beauty again starts as favourite and after a strong showing in the Grade 2 Premier Trophy (1800m) on Dec 15th, where she beat a number of quality colts, she should be able to revenge her defeat of last year.

Her other main challengers are likely to be the dual Group 1 winner Happy Archer(AUS) from the Sean Tarry yard and Mike De Kock’s Group 1 Woolavington winner, Viva Maria. Happy Archer has however drawn barrier 13 and with the five-year-old mare having a history of being headstrong on occasions, this may count against her.

Viva Maria is having her third run after a rest and the front running mare should ensure that the slow pace of last year’s race is not repeated. The stable have confirmed that she travelled down well and is spot on for the race.