#PRESS_RELEASE: Date set for L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate 2016

The date of the 155^th running of the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (LQP) – South Africa’s
premier horseracing day – has been confirmed for Saturday, January 9, 2016, at Kenilworth Racecourse, guaranteeing a magnificent start to the year’s social calendar.

LQP is once more set to be an exhilarating day of horse racing – the day’s 12-race card will set South Africa’s finest thoroughbreds against each other as they pursue the coveted trophy and R1 million purse.

The Peninsula Stakes, sponsored by England’s Goodwood Racecourse, meanwhile, will run for a third year, bringing international flavour to the day’s line up. Additionally, the Breeder’s Cup, the biggest annual race day held in the United States, will again grant the LQP winner automatic entrance to its Mile Division, cementing the race’s global status.

Beyond the track, the elegance of LQP will again be exhibited by guests dressed in the LQP colours of blue and white as they mingle and enjoy world-class music, entertainment and culinary offerings across a variety of hospitality marquees including the Stud Club and Style Lounge.

“The L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate has a rich history and is a defining moment in the international horseracing calendar. Every year we strive to maintain strict standards of elegance and leisure while building on the successes of the past. LQP 2016 will deliver everything people have come to expect, plus a few surprises,” said Katherine Gray, co-ordinator of LQP 2016.

As part of the Glorious Goodwood partnership with the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, the Best Dressed Lady and a partner will be flown to the United Kingdom to race at Glorious Goodwood in August 2016. The Best Dressed Lady embodies the blue-and-white tradition – demonstrated this year by winner Deborah Calmeyer.

Listed by The Telegraph in the United Kingdom in 2014 as one of the top five race days in the world, LQP is ranked alongside other illustrious races, including the likes of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Paris), Breeder’s Cup (California), Melbourne Cup and Dubai World Cup.