Grade 1 double for Snaith as Do It Again strikes in L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate

Kenilworth: L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (Grade 1), 1m | turf, 3yo+ and Cartier Paddock Stakes (Grade 1) | 1m1f, 3yo+| fillies/mares

Champion trainer Justin Snaith went home with one hand on the Sun Met after landing the country’s premier mile event on Saturday with Durban July winner Do It Again and the Paddock Stakes with last year’s Met winner Oh Susanna.

Richard Fourie rode both and on Do It Again, who carries the colours of former Investec boss Bernard Kantor, he deliberately left it late, getting up only yards from the line on the 9-2 chance to pip the Mike de Kock-trained Cape Guineas winner Soqrat by a neck.

Fourie, winning this Grade 1 contest for the first time, said: “When I asked him there was so much horse there that he gave it to me in one rush. He is going to be hard to beat in the Met and I am looking forward to it.”

Second favourite Rainbow Bridge was nearly three lengths back in third, a length in front of 3-1 favourite Legal Eagle, who had won the race for the last three years and had never been beaten in ten previous runs over a mile.

Rider Anton Marcus reported: “He never travelled the way I thought he would. I thought I was in a perfect position but at no stage did I think I was going to win.”

Horse of the Year Oh Susanna won last year’s Paddock Stakes en route to victory in the Met and, wearing ear muffs for the first time, the 13-10 favourite led after a furlong. She stayed on strongly to beat old rival Lady In Black by a hard-fought half a length and initiate a notable Grade 1 double for trainer and jockey.

Snaith said: “I felt that it would take a tough filly to beat Oh Susanna today. Do It Again looks like a superstar and every time I don’t feel confident about him I look at the final furlong of the Durban July, where he was so impressive. He is going to be even better over the ten furlongs of the Met.”

Do It Again, already favourite for the Met on Saturday fortnight, has been halved to 14-10 from 28-10 by local bookmakers and Oh Susanna cut to 7-1 from 12-1.

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