BC Challenge Series Gets Underway in South Africa

Messrs. C.T. Crowe & N. Jonsson's 5-year-old two-time defending champion Jet Dark  is slated to face the undefeated Charles Dickens in the Jan. 7 1-mile R1.5 million King's Plate (G1) at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town. The race winner will earn an automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In. One race prior to the King's Plate, Mrs. S. Viljoen's 5-year-old mare Captain's Ransom , the 2022 Equus Horse of the Year, leads the 1 1/8-mile R1 million Paddock Stakes (G1) for a free starting position into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).

The Paddock Stakes will be televised live on FanDuel Racing at approximately 8:35 a.m. ET, and the King's Plate will be televised on FanDuel TV at 9:10 a.m. ET.

Now in its 17th season, the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, on Nov. 3-4.

Eleven horses have been entered for the 162nd running of the King's Plate. Jet Dark, trained by Justin Snaith, won last year's race, (previously named the Queen's Plate) by 2 1/2 lengths over Kommetdieding . Jet Dark, a son of Trippi out of the Jet Master mare Night Jet, has won eight of 17 starts, which included closing out last season with a successful title defense in the HKJC World Pool Champions Cup (G1) at Greyville at Durbanville on July 30, defeating Kommetdieding by a neck. Jet Dark began this season by taking the Cape Mile (G3) at Kenilworth by 1 3/4 lengths on Nov. 5.

Jet Dark, though, faces a formidable test from another son of Trippi in Drakenstein Stud's 3-year-old homebred Charles Dickens, a winner of all six of his starts since his first race in April 2021. Trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, Charles Dickens won his first group stakes in his fourth start, capturing the Cape Classic (G3) at Kenilworth on Oct. 22. He returned over the course on Nov. 27 and won another 7-furlong allowance before making his most impressive performance to date, coming from far back on the extreme outside to take the Cape Guineas (G1) by 4 1/4 lengths at Kenilworth on Dec. 17.

Drakenstein and Bass Robinson have also entered the 4-year-old Trip of Fortune, a recent victor of  the Green Point Stakes (G2) Dec. 3.

The 5-year-old Kommetdieding, third in the Green Point as the 4-5 favorite, is nicknamed "Cape Comet." He is owned by Ashwin Reynolds and trained by the father-daughter duo of Henry Crawford and Michele Rix. A son of Elusive Fort , Kommetdieding turned the tables on Jet Dark after losing last year's Queen's Plate by defeating his rival next time out in the Cape Town Met (G1) but did not win any of his next six starts, including the close loss in the Champions Cup.

Captain's Ransom Towers over Rivals in Paddock Stakes

Six-time group 1 winner Captain's Ransom is the one to beat in the Paddock Stakes, which drew eight fillies and mares. A winner of 13 of 16 starts for trainer Justin Snaith, Captain's Ransom won last year's Paddock Stakes by a head over Chansonette , with Marina  finishing third. Captain's Ransom won three additional group 1 races last season, including a victory over male rivals in the Mercury Sprint (G1) at six furlongs at Greyville on July 30. She returned to the races on Nov. 16 with a 2 1/4-length win in the 7-furlong Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth.

Mauritzfontein, and Messrs. M.W. Bass, F. Green, and Byn's 5-year-old Marina, trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, has won 10 races in her career and has finished first or second in her last four starts.

A daughter of Silvano, Marina followed a second-place finish in the Garden Province Stakes (G1) at Greyville on July 2 with a 2 1/4-length triumph in the Gold Bracelet (G2) on July 30. She opened the new season in November by finishing second in an allowance race at Kenilworth but came back on Dec. 17 to win the 1 1/8-mile Victress Stakes (G3) by 1 1/4 lengths.  

The Hollywood Syndicate's 3-year-old Make It Snappy comes into the race with a group 1 score in just her fourth start, taking the Cape Fillies Guineas (G1) on Dec. 3 by 1 1/2 lengths at 6-1. That was the third win in four starts for the daughter of Dynasty, who is trained by Brett Crawford.