18 Dec Queen’s Plate 2018

The L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Racing Festival will be run at Cape Town’s Kenilworth race course on 5-6 January 2018. The Queen’s Plate is the continent’s oldest horse race day, dating back to 1861, and is South Africa’s first multi-day racing festival in the mould of such famous international racing festivals as Royal Ascot, Qatar Glorious Goodwood and the Kentucky Derby. The festival features a supreme race card, and both days will offer an impressive array of world-class music and entertainment across a number of hospitality marquees for guests dressed in classical blue-and-white ensembles.

FMM together with BMW will once again be supporting the event and among the museum’s models to be displayed are some famous examples of the marque – namely the 1938 BMW 328, 1953 BMW 502 and 2004 BMW 760Li Security Edition (the Nelson Mandela 46664 charity car). It is hoped that the BMW-Isetta bubble car will also be readied in time. Representing the Rolls-Royce division of BMW will be a 1928 Phantom 1 and a 1935 20/25. The BMW-engined 1953 Bristol 403 may make a guest appearance.

Friday’s highlight race is the Grade 2 Cartier Sceptre Stakes, the premier sprint race for fillies in the Western Cape. The day will also see live jazz, a Summer Harvest Table under the trees, along with bottomless complimentary L’Ormarins Brut Cap Classique and Heineken on tap. On the following day, thanks to the ever-increasing international allure of the event, Cartier has increased its exposure by taking over the sponsorship of the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes, the strongest race for fillies and mares in South Africa. The L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Racing Festival is the only event sponsored by Cartier in Africa. But, as is tradition, the running of the Festival’s Blue Riband event, the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, will also take place on the Saturday, when South Africa’s finest thoroughbreds compete for the R1,5 million purse.

BUY TICKETS ONLINE AT COMPUTICKET