A Blue And White Day At The Races This January

Get dressed to the nines in blue and white for the horse racing calendar’s highlight of the year

One of the most stylish events on the Cape Town horse racing calendar is back in 2022! The L'Ormarins Queen's Plate (LQP) Racing Festival takes place on Friday, 7 January and Saturday, 8 January, at Kenilworth Racecourse. Come dressed in blue and white and get ready for a race of a lifetime. 

WATCH: L’ORMARIN’S QUEEN’S PLATE

WHY BLUE AND WHITE? A SHORT HISTORY

The Queen’s Plate horse race was first run in 1861. L'Ormarins, the main estate in the Anthonij Rupert estate in Franschhoek first sponsored the race in 2005. The blue and white theme was chosen because those are the racing colours of Drakenstein Stud Farm, which is located on L’Ormarins Estate.  “The colour theme, name and presence of all these elements at the race day culminate under the ‘L’Ormarins’ title,” explains Katherine Gray, LQP Racing Festival Coordinator. In 2020, we see the 159th running of the Queen's Plate. 

A WEEKEND AFFAIR CULMINATING IN AN EPIC SATURDAY NIGHT

The races and festivities take place over the whole weekend, but Saturday is the grand finale and the day of the main race. For a lot of people, it’s also the last Saturday night of holidays before heading back to work for the year. People and workers from  the event come together between 7pm–11pm and have one big party together. DJ PH will headline the party this year, supported by a host of local DJs.

EYE ON THE HORSES

The racing fraternity from all over the world come out to the LQP because it kicks off the 2022 racing season. You can expect top horses competing in the main race, making the betting and trackside experience all the more exciting.

KENILWORTH RACECOURSE DECKED TO THE NINES

The event takes place at Kenilworth Racecourse, you can enjoy the festivities in the building and in marquees that are, all decorated in the signature blue and white. Each hospitality area offers something different; from three-course sit-down meals in air-conditioned rooms to picnic sites to cocktail seating.

Bars are available as well as food vendors for many different tastes, from poke bowls to burgers and pizzas to boerewors rolls. The LQP Garden Party offers free-flowing L’Ormarins Brut, Heineken, a harvest table lunch and live jazz.

ATTENDING THE L’ORMARIN’S QUEEN’S PLATE

The event is exclusively for attendees over the age of 18. All guests must be fully vaccinated and must present their vaccination card before entering. Tickets cost R350–R1000 and can be booked online. The best way to contact the organisers is through the online enquiries page or on +27(0) 433 0347 or lqp@celebsa.com, or via the L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate Facebook page. For ticket holders, there is free parking on the inner field at the racetrack off Wetton Road. Guests are encouraged to use public transport. 

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DISCOVER MORE OF WHAT CAPE TOWN HAS TO OFFER

Find more things to do this weekend.

Sport lovers have a look at all the upcoming events in our sports listing. 

If you love the outdoors, check out the schedule for The Galileo Open Air Cinema. 

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