QUEEN Supreme flew the flag for Tom Hassett’s Monksland Stables breeding operation in Co Waterford, as well as for Goffs, when sweeping to a convincing victory in the Cartier Paddock Stakes at Kenilworth last Saturday.

The Exceed And Excel filly started second favourite for the nine-furlong Group 1 despite being six months ‘wrong’ with the opposition.

Callan Murray sent her to the front a furlong out to beat 44/1 outsider Driving Miss Daisy by two and a half lengths.

Mike de Kock is now considering whether to take the €130,000 Goffs Orby purchase back to the northern hemisphere for the rest of her career and said: “She is definitely good enough to travel but, if I send anything this time, I will go in February and via Mauritius (with three months’ quarantine there) because the best case scenario for direct exports is October.”

De Kock has Queen Supreme in the Group 1 Majorca Stakes over a mile on Sun Met day (February 1st) but he is considering the possibility of supplementing her for the big one. She carries the same Mauritzfontein colours as Smart Call who completed the Paddock Stakes-Met double four years ago.

He also spoke about buying horses at the Orby and the other top sales in Europe, saying: “It’s fantastic shopping in the northern hemisphere but you have to have an owner with more than ordinary patience and, after training quite a few of such horses, I have realised that you have to take a deep breath and count to 10 with them.

“We sometimes get disappointed with their performances but you have to remember that on weight for age terms they have so much to catch up.”

Queen’s Plate

This was L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day, South Africa’s smartest meeting of the year and when everyone (men included) is expected to wear blue and white. But the start of the Queen’s Plate itself was delayed for over 20 minutes by two horses losing shoes on the way to the start and another suffering a broken bridle, while thick smoke from an outbreak of fire in the field across the road threatened visibility.

De Kock’s hot-favourite Hawwaam was the principal sufferer, refusing to settle and managing only fifth. “He is lengths better than that,” said a disappointed Anton Marcus, but the race was a triumph for his nephew Adam who scored his second Group 1 inside a month when Vardy (by Var and carrying the colours of now-retired Investec boss Bernard Kantor) went from last to first inside a furlong to score so convincingly that he is now second favourite for the Met.

Irish visitors

There were several Irish visitors including Tony McCoy (“It’s a good standard of racing and I am really impressed”), while John O’Kelly and Tammy O’Brien were there to present the trophies for the Tattersalls-sponsored two-year-old races.

Peter Doyle and wife Anna were keen to see the reappearance of champion sprinter Kasimir (bought as a yearling by Doyle and owned by his wife in a partnership that includes Diane Nagle and Linda Shanahan).

The gelding started favourite for the Design Indaba Pinnacle and ran on into fourth under a tender ride from Richard Fourie. He now tries to repeat last year’s win in the Cape Flying Championship.

“You always need one run back to blow away the cobwebs,” Doyle was informed by trainer Justin Snaith who won seven of the 18 races over the two days.

“The opposition had all had a run and they were ready. Kasimir won’t be ready until February 1st and then only at about 3.00pm!”