South Africa's King’s Plate horse race brings back glitz and glamour after pandemic

The 2023 King’s Plate attracted crowds adorned in blue and white, the annual colour theme of the glamorous horse race at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town, on Saturday 7 January. It is the first major event on South Africa’s horse racing calendar. Katherine Grey, the L’Omarins King’s Plate organiser said the L’Omarin’s wine brand is delighted to be associated with the King’s Plate. The Queen’s Plate was rebranded as the King’s Plate after the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the succession of King Charles. Lauren-Mae Samuels attended the race for the first time having grown up attending other races. She wore a simple blue and white outfit. She said she was happy to attend the race now that South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown restrictions have been lifted. Marcel Swain, marketing manager for Heineken, a key sponsor of the race said their company are long standing partners and sponsors of the event as it’s a premium event in terms of luxury, lifestyle and horse racing. The race was won by Australian-owned horse Al Muthana, ridden by jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe.