Last season's SA Derby winner was expected to find Saturday's R1 million race on the short side but South Africa's highest-rated thoroughbred showed his class with a professional display.

The Queen's Plate is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series and qualifies Legal Eagle for a start in the 2016 Breeders Cup Mile at Santa Anita.

The Sean Tarry-trained colt was expected to face tough opposition from last year's winner Futura and the latter's stablemate Legislate.

However it was Legal Eagle, well ridden by Anton Marcus, who hit the front at the right time and drew clear for a convincing 1.5 lengths win over Legislate. Noah From Goa finished third, Captain America was fourth and Futura fifth.

It was the first time in 17 outings that Futura, last season's Horse of the Year, had finished out of the first four.

Marcus was originally set to ride eventual sixth place finisher Act Of War but made a shrewd decision to Legal Eagle. Both horses are owned by Marcus Jooste.

The veteran jockey last won the race in 2013 aboard dual Horse of the Year Variety Club.

It was a first win in the race for Sean Tarry.

Legal Eagle will now go to R2.5 million J&B Met at Kenilworth on January 30.

Legal Eagle has now won five of nine outings and has earned more than R2.297 million, a fine return on his R425,000 yearling purchase price.

In the G1 Paddock Stakes, the Alex Laird-trained filly Smart Call beat last year's winner Inara with promising Bela-Bela third.

Laird has his eyes on the Breeders' Cup with Smart Call but will first take on the colts and geldings in the Met.

Laird said: "The Met will be tough but this is a good filly. Victory here gives us a ticket for the Breeders' Cup.

“We may go via Mauritius but hopefully we can go a shorter route by then."