One-way traffic for One Stripe

Three-year-old colt to add G1 L'Ormarins King's Plate to Guineas success

- Jack Milner

The L'Ormarins King's Plate is the first of a trio of Grade 1 races open to all horses over 1600m and is arguably the most prestigious of the lot.

What makes this year's event at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth tomorrow particularly thrilling is the inclusion of the country's leading three-year-old One Stripe.

Many may claim that not many three-year-olds have won this event; one also needs to take into account the programming of this event.

For many years it was run very close to the Cape Guineas and that stopped trainers from going for both. It was the same with the Cape Derby which used to be run on Cape Met Day and that precluded the top three-year-olds from contesting the Met.

Scheduling changes have now changed all that, and three-year-olds are now more enticed to go for both the Guineas and King's Plate.

In this case One Stripe looks to be well, especially if one takes a line through 2023 Guineas winner Snow Pilot. The latter beat One Stripe by one length in a Progress Plate over 1400m at HWB Durbanville in October and is now 6kg worse off.