LEGAL Eagle won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate for the third successive year at Kenilworth last Saturday but he had to pull out all the stops to do so and thwart a cleverly organised attempt to bring about his downfall.

Brett Crawford, trainer of Captain America (second last year, fourth the year before and owned by Diane Nagle, Charley Gurney and Delma Sherrell), decided to make the most of the long-striding horse’s galloping ability and poach a commanding lead.

Corne Orffer’s mount was still three lengths clear at the furlong marker and showing no sign of stopping whereas the odds-on favourite was under pressure.

“I have a lot of respect for Captain America and I said beforehand that he was going to go out there and throw down the gauntlet,” related Legal Eagle’s rider Anton Marcus. “You can’t challenge him too early but if you let him slip you are not going to get to him. I wasn’t sure I would get there but mine is a special horse and I was hoping.”

It was only inside the last 30 yards, though, that he did collar the leader who was visibly tired by this stage and weakened into third close home.

“We tried to steal it and this ended up costing us second but I thought it was the only way we could beat Legal Eagle,” said Crawford who is intent on turning the tables in the Sun Met in a fortnight’s time. “We know Legal Eagle is vulnerable over 10 furlongs and we won’t have to ride Captain America like we did here.”

Dual Horse of the Year Legal Eagle, trained by Sean Tarry and carrying the colours of businessman Braam van Huyssteen for the first time, is a six-year-old gelding by the Durban July winner Greys Inn out of a mare by National Emblem. He has won 12 of his 21 races.

The bookmakers believe he won’t make it third time lucky in the Met and they replaced him at the head of the market with the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Last Winter who has won four out of five but has yet to run in a Group 1.

FILLIES

Oh Susanna, an Australian-bred daughter of Street Cry, was no match for superhorse stable companion Snowdance in the Fillies Guineas, but she proved much too good for the older horses in the Cartier Paddock Stakes and has also been supplemented for the Met. She is homebred by Gaynor Rupert who has turned Queen’s Plate day into her own with everyone (male as well as female) asked to wear something in the blue and white of her racing colours.

The Timmy Hyde-bred Cascapedia is making a big impression and at Turffontein last Sunday she made it five wins out of six in the London News Stakes, a Group 3 over nine furlongs. The following day Mike de Kock supplemented her for the Met. She is a 9/1 chance.

De Kock said: “I was quite impressed on Sunday and a horse who wins like that – and gains in confidence – is a horse who can be followed.