Cape Town - Dual SA Horse of the Year Legal Eagle heads a classy line-up to contest the R1.5 million Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth on Saturday, January 6, where the son of Greys Inn bids to record a hat-trick of wins in the race.

According to the Sporting Post website, Legal Eagle, who races for the first time under new ownership, was one of 12 runners declared for Africa’s most prestigious weight-for-age mile and will be a strong fancy to lift the prestigious title in the hands of jockey Anton Marcus.

The opposition look to be beatable and it was not surprising to see his arch-rival Edict Of Nantes not make the line-up as he heads to Hong Kong after being sold recently.

Mike de Kock star Nother Russia is another who misses the big one and she will contest the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes on the day.

Mike Azzie will fly in to Cape Town 24 hours before the race with his Argentinian-bred Charity Mile winner Hat Puntano, who like Gold Standard, will run in the famous blue and white of Drakenstein Stud.

The final field: (under number, draw, horse, weight, merit rating, jockey, trainer)

1, 2, Legal Eagle, 123, A Marcus, Sean Tarry
2, 9, Captain America, 118, C Orffer, Brett Crawford
3, 4, Marinaresco, 118, A Domeyer, Candice Bass-Robinson
4, 8, Sail South, 117, G Cheyne, Brett Crawford
5, 10, Hat Puntano (ARG), 116, G van Niekerk, M G Azzie/A A Azzie
6, 7, Deo Juvente, 115, C Murray, Geoff Woodruff
7, 11, Gold Standard, 115, R Fourie, Glen Kotzen
8, 1, Silicone Valley, 111, D Dillon, Glen Puller
9, 5, African Night Sky, 102, B Fayd’Herbe, Justin Snaith
10, 12, Copper Force, 101, L Hewitson, Justin Snaith
11, 3, Fifty Cents, 98, P Strydom, Justin Snaith
12, 6, It Is Written, 88, B May, Justin Snaith