Via Michael Lee, Singapore Turf Club
Leading Dester Singapore Gold Cup hope King Louis will be donning brand new silks in the $1 million Group 1 feature race over 2000m on Sunday.
While there is that unspoken hope the new set of colours can bring better luck to King Louis, an agonisingly close second to I’m Incredible in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m), the second Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series – of which the Dester Singapore Gold Cup is the third and final Leg – the change was brought about mainly to herald a new era for his owner Steve Levar.
The Ricardo Le Grange-trained five-year-old son of Medaglia D’Oro will sport a new set of colours ordered by the iRace boss, and befitting of the Royalty Racing Stable banner it flies.
It is actually no coincidence the all navy jacket with gold braids brings shades of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s famous racing silks. The English monarch’s has the same gold braiding, except that the colours are purple with scarlet sleeves and black cap.
“King Louis will be sporting our new Royalty Racing silks in the Gold Cup,” said Levar.
“We had actually planned to launch the new silks in 2020 for our new horses as part of our Singapore racing expansion plans, but we decided why not let King Louis wear them in Singapore’s most iconic race, the Dester Singapore Gold Cup.
“We had the silks made in the UK by Gibson Saddlery, which is the company that makes the silks for the Queen Of England. So, it’s only fitting they make the silks that King Louis will wear on Sunday.
“Our youngest son Louis was all excited to wear them when they arrived. King Louis was named both after him and the French King Louis XIV.”
The rebranding of the Royalty Racing Stable will soon be buzzing with the excitement of more horses filling Le Grange’s stable, a little like Levar and wife Christine having their home filled with joy and laughter from their own brood of four children.
To keep everybody happy – and keep it in the family – Levar is making sure his three other children Yasmine, Malcolm and Angeline also lend their names to his upcoming acquisitions.
“Two of our new horses have just arrived in Singapore,” he said.
“A three-year-old filly named Chia, who last raced in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick during the Sydney Autumn Carnival and a four-year-old gelding named Front Sight who comes from Gooree Park in New South Wales, the same breeder as King Louis.
“Both horses will be trained by Ricardo and we are hoping both will contest their respective age series races next year.
“Chia will be renamed Sweet Angeline, named after a song Elvis Presley recorded and also after our youngest daughter Angeline.
“Front Sight will be renamed Churchill as Christine is a huge history fan and a great admirer of Winston Churchill.
“Horses named after the eldest two, Yasmine and Malcolm are next on the agenda. We are already brainstorming names now.”
