The 2026 L’Ormarins King’s Plate will be the target for the imported No Nay Never colt His Majesty who is set to join the powerful Vaughan Marshall yard at Milnerton in the next few months.
Vaughan Marshall won the 2025 renewal of the prestigious weight-for-age mile with the now exported 3yo, One Stripe.
Vaughan Marshall – veteran master trainer (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
A very smart juvenile of his year when landing the Listed First Flier Stakes at the Curragh, His Majesty ran second in the Gr2 Prix Robert Papin, third in both the Gr2 Railways Stakes and Gr3 Marble Stakes, and fourth in the Gr2 Norfolk Stakes.
In his sole start last season, he finished off the board in the Gr3 Renaissance Stakes.
His Majesty is one of three winners from as many runners out of Galileo’s grandaughter Czabo, who won the Gr3 Park Express Stakes and Listed Prix des Lilas and finished fourth in the Gr1 Irish
The colt was one of a quartet of purchases at the October 2024 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training sale by Willem Ackerman and Nigel Riley, who were assisted by Paul Peter.
The draft includes the Tony Peter trained Galileo colt The Equator, an interesting entry in the 2025 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
He faces a race against time to be ready for the 5 July showdown.
Paul Peter was recently quoted in media reports that the quarantine period was longer than they had anticipated.
“He’s doing very well, but I’m not sure Tony will have him ready in time. He’s going to need two runs to qualify, but he is a big burly horse and this bloke can eat. He just wants to eat and he eats and gets big and chunky so quickly. So Tony doesn’t want to push him and damage him. But he is going to try and have him ready. He has an excellent temperament, you would never think he’s a colt, and he’s doing whatever we ask of him. We didn’t know anything about him, so we’re just learning every day. He’s a nice sound horse and we had to nominate him in case he gets there quicker than we think.”
Probably the last son of the former Coolmore colossus set to race in South Africa, The Equator has only won one race in six starts but has two seconds to his name and has performed well against some good opposition.
The NHA handicappers allocated The Equator a merit rating of 109, which will mean, as Paul Peter suggested, he will have to do well in his next two races to qualify for the July.
