Three-year-old Jet Dark raced to the finish line to win this year’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, the event which opens the racing season and, in most years, Cape Town’s social calender.
Jet Dark outpaced established older horses in a 1 600m epic.
Jet Dark hurtled through with jockey Grant van Niekerk; the momentum carried the colt past Rainbow Bridge who placed second. Belgarion stayed on from near the back to get third with Do It Again coming in fourth place.
Trainer Justin Snaith paid fulsome tribute to Van Niekerk.
“Grant has magic in his hands and can win on anything.” said Snaith.
Jet Dark was bred at Drakenstein Stud. Snaith speculated that the 3-year-old may end up back at his Franschhoek home in the stallion shed.
The racing event, which is usually a highlight for socialites in Cape Town, was starkly near empty this year, amid Covid-19 social-distancing regulations.