The 2026 South African racing calendar will burst into life in spectacular fashion when Hollywoodbets Kenilworth hosts a bumper 10-race programme on Saturday, 10 January, headlined by three Grade 1 contests.
At the centre of the Race Coast Summer Festival of Racing fixture is the prestigious 165th renewal of the R3 million L’Ormarins King’s Plate, which has drawn a competitive field of 14 runners from across the country, including challengers from KwaZulu-Natal and the highveld.
Only three-year-old
All eyes will be on Jan Van Goyen, the only three-year-old in the line-up and the recent Hollywoodbets Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner from the Mike de Kock stable.
The son of Master Of My Fate carries a 5kg age allowance and is rated 118, identical to this year’s star One Stripe, who famously completed the Cape Guineas-King’s Plate double.
Jan Van Goyen will be ridden by Callan Murray, who has chosen the youngster ahead of seasoned campaigner Dave The King, the former SA Horse of the Year and recent winner of the Grade 2 Green Point Stakes.
De Kock last lifted the trophy in 2011, when the race was still known as the Queen’s Plate.
Durban July hero The Real Prince adds further intrigue to the contest.
Trained by Dean Kannemeyer and ridden by Craig Zackey, the five-year-old stayed on strongly in the Green Point Stakes and is expected to show marked improvement in his second start of the season.
Strongly represented
Champion trainer Justin Snaith will be strongly represented as he chases a fifth King’s Plate title.
He saddles four runners, including reigning SA Horse of the Year Eight On Eighteen, who will be partnered by British champion jockey Oisin Murphy.
The son of Lancaster Bomber returns after a minor setback and makes his seasonal debut, adding an element of mystery despite his lofty status.
This year’s winning trainer Vaughan Marshall returns with Questioning, to be ridden by Richard Fourie, whose previous King’s Plate success came aboard Do It Again in 2019.
Winning combination
The 2024 winning combination of Aldo Domeyer and Candice Bass is back in action with Sugar Mountain, while Summerveld trainer Stuart Ferrie saddles his first King’s Plate runner, Gladatorian, a Grade 1 winner who will be ridden by Sean Veale after a quiet seasonal debut in the Green Point Stakes.
With depth, star power and compelling narratives across generations, the 165th L’Ormarins King’s Plate promises a thrilling centrepiece to the opening major of the 2026 racing season.
Click here for the latest available Hollywoodbets odds.
Click here for the full 10-race card.
L’Ormarins King’s Plate field
| Number | Horse | Weight | Merit rating | Jockey | Trainer |
| 1 | Dave The King | 60 | 128 | Ryan Munger | Mike / Mathew de Kock |
| 2 | Jan Van Goyen | 55 | 118 | Callan Murray | Mike / Mathew de Kock |
| 3 | Sugar Mountain | 60 | 123 | Aldo Domeyer | Candice Bass |
| 4 | Questioning | 60 | 123 | Richard Fourie | Vaughan Marshall |
| 5 | Sail The Seas | 60 | 127 | Muzi Yeni | Justin Snaith |
| 6 | The Real Prince | 60 | 126 | Craig Zackey | Dean Kannemeyer |
| 7 | Eight On Eighteen | 60 | 129 | Oisin Murphy | Justin Snaith |
| 8 | Garrix | 60 | 123 | S’manga Khumalo | Piet / Elbert Steyn |
| 9 | Gladatorian | 60 | 127 | Sean Veale | Stuart Ferrie |
| 10 | See It Again | 60 | 125 | Andrew Fortune | Justin Snaith |
| 11 | Legal Counsel | 60 | 113 | Chad Little | Justin Snaith |
| 12 | Jet Force | 60 | 120 | Grant van Niekerk | Des A McLachlan |
| 13 | Fire Attack | 60 | 126 | Calvin Habib | Alec Laird |
| 14 | Cosmic Speed | 60 | 125 | Gavin Lerena | Sean Tarry |
