Jan Van Goyen faces the acid test

THE Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Jan van Goyen will be out to become only the sixth three-year-old to win the L'Ormarins King's Plate since World War II, but he will on the other hand become the third three-year-old to do it this decade and the second three-year-old in succession.

- DAVID THISELTON

He is a 2/1 chance with Hollywoodbets to pull it off.

Murray

He might be a twice Gr 1 winner already, but is in fact still relatively unexposed, because he won both of his Gr 1s by comfortable margins and without being put under undue pressure by his regular rider Callan Murray.

The winning margins were 3,70 lengths in the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes and 2,75 lengths in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.

In the Champion Stakes his time was 97,63 seconds, which was a touch slower than the 97,39 seconds recorded by the Gr 1 Douglas Whyte Stakes winner Golden Palm and was a lot slower than the 95,63 seconds recorded by I Salute You in the Listed Michel Nairac Stakes Darley Arabian, although the latter was carrying 4,5kg less than Jan van Goyen.

However, Jan van Goyen's Cape Guineas time of 98.45 seconds was quicker than the Gr 2 Ridgemont Green Point Stakes time of 98.77 seconds by his stablemate Dave The King.

Furthermore, he looked to still have plenty in hand, while Dave The King was at the end of his reserves and being challenged on all sides.

Jan van Goyen's only defeat over 1600m came in the Gr 2 Jackpot City Dingaans, but that was his first run for four months and he was caught wide without cover.

Jan Van Goyen will receive 5kg from the top rated horse Eight On Eighteen on Saturday, but off an official 118 he is 5,5kg under sufferance with the 129-rated Equus Horse Of The Year.