Pocket Power set for continued domination

LUCKY SINDANE Oct 31 2008 11:37

Richard Maponya, Soweto's pioneer capitalist and former racehorse owner, has tipped Pocket Power for Cape Town's prestigious horse-racing event, the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate.

With R1-million at stake, Pocket Power is set to make history by becoming the first horse to win the race on three consecutive occasions. The race will take place on January 10 2009 at the Kenilworth racetrack in Cape Town.

Maponya said: "I'll definitely put my money on Pocket Power because of his consistency. I don't think it will matter, even there are other strong contenders on the day for the race, as he will come out victorious."

"Pocket Power has a very good trainer [Mike Bass], who knows his job very well. He used to train my horses as well and did a very good job with them," he adds.

Pocket Power, the six-year-old bay gelding, has won five grade-one races, including the J&B Met in 2007 and 2008. In 2007 and 2008 he was the Equus horse of the year.

Bass, Pocket Power's trainer, said he is 85% fit but will be ready for the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate. "I have been working very hard with him and everything is going very well at the moment. He'll race one or two races before the big one in January," he said.

Though Bass is confident that Pocket Power will come out tops, his strongest competitor will be the United Kingdom's Dancer's Daughter.

A capacity crowd at Grayville witnessed Pocket Power and Dancer's Daughter slug it out in a nail-biting sprint to the post for a thrilling finale of the Durban Vodacom July. Judges were left scrutinising the "photo finish" before declaring a dead heat -- only the second dead heat in the race's 112-year history. The L'Ormarins Queen's Plate will be the perfect rematch for Dancer's Daughter.

The L'Ormarins Queen's Plate, which is one of South Africa's premier horse races, was first run in 1861 in honour of Queen Victoria. It became the King's plate during the reigns of Edward VII, George V and George VI but reverted to its original name in 1953 after the ascension of Queen Elizabeth II.

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To witness the Kenilworth racetrack turned into a place where fashion, fine food and wine, vintage cars and thoroughbreds take centre stage, get your tickets at Computicket. Tickets for the picnic area cost R30 (R10 will be donated to charity and a R20 betting voucher). Tickets to the Jameson Gold Style Lounges cost R200. There will also be entertainment on the day from South African music stars Louise Carver and Arno Carstens, jazzy house gurus Goldfish, as well as 5FM DJ Gareth Cliff and Shaun Duvet.

Funds raised on the day will be donated to the Grooms School Trust and the Cart-Horse Protection Association.

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