Equus Award 2022/2023 season

Trainer Snaith/Tarry?
Jockey De Melo. Fourie special mention
Owner Drakenstein
Breeder Drakenstein
Stallion Gimmethegreenlight
Damsire Captain Al
Horse of the Year Charles Dickens
3 Year old colt Charles Dickens
Champion miler Charles Dickens
3 Year old filly Make it snappy
older Filly Princess Calla
sprinter Princess Calla
2 year filly Mrs geriatrix
2 year old colt Lucky Lad
Middle distance Puerto Munzano
Stayer Nebraas/Future pearl

Horse of The Year Princess Calla. to win from 1000 to 1800 in a few months quite remarkable.
Two year old colt Sandringham Summit
Stayer Future Pearl

Sylvester wrote:

Trainer Snaith/Tarry?
Jockey De Melo. Fourie special mention
Owner Drakenstein
Breeder Drakenstein
Stallion Gimmethegreenlight
Damsire Captain Al
Horse of the Year Charles Dickens
3 Year old colt Charles Dickens
Champion miler Charles Dickens
3 Year old filly Make it snappy
older Filly Princess Calla
sprinter Princess Calla
2 year filly Mrs geriatrix
2 year old colt Lucky Lad
Middle distance Puerto Munzano
Stayer Nebraas/Future pearl

Trainer: J Snaith
Jockey: K De Melo. R Fourie special mention
Apprentice: R Vennicker
Owner: Drakenstein
Breeder: Drakenstein
Stallion: Gimmethegreenlight
Damsire: Captain Al
Horse of the Year: Princess Calla
3 Year old colt: See It Again
Champion miler: Charles Dickens
3 Year old filly: Bless My Stars
Older Filly: Princess Calla
Older Male: Puerto Manzano
Sprinter: Isivunguvungu
2 year filly: Mrs geriatrix
2 year old colt: Sandringham Summit
Middle distance: Trip Of Fortune
Stayer: Future Pearl

Horse Of The Year should go to Princess Calla. She ended up with most points as well, 166 in my calculations, around 22 points clear of Charles Dickens. She won 3 Grade 1s compared to the 2 of Charles Dickens. She also won from 1200m to 1800m in her Grade 1s and had a Graded win over 1000m. That is some doing.

Charles Dickens was the hyped horse in the early part of the season. He looked to be the next big thing but unfortunately fluffed his lines in both the Kings Plate and Cape Derby. He could end up one of the best milers but Princess Calla has won more Grade 1s this season and that should set the standard.

Sandringham Summit was rated 110 and Main Defender 113 before Sunday. Lucky Lad 117 but that run on Sunday is best ignored.

The ease of Sandringham Summit win was amazing and I am waiting in anticipation for his new rating.

EQUUS AWARDS UPHEAVAL ON WORLD POOL GOLD CUP DAY

David Thiselton

The HKJC World Pool Gold Cup day meeting usually causes an upheaval to the Equus Awards standings and this year's renewal was no different.

The most important upheaval was to the Equus Horse Of The Year award. The Sean Tarry-trained Princess Calla's impressive win in the Gr 1 HKJC World Pool Champions Cup over 1800m sees her jumping to the top of the Equus Horse Of The Year points table and she also becomes the only horse to have won three Gr 1s this season. Each of Charles Dickens, See It Again and Princess Calla have won an open weight for age (wfa) Gr 1, while Charles Dickens and See It Again each have an age restricted Gr 1 to their names, whilst Princess Calla has two gender restricted Gr 1s to her name. She also won three Gr 2s, including one against the boys by 5,25 lengths. However, who is the better horse, her or Charles Dickens, and how much weight does opinion have versus statistics?

The first upheaval on the day was caused by the David Nieuwenhuizen-trained Sandringham Summit, whose betting drift did not stop him powering home to a second successive impressive Graded race victory in the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes. Lucky Lad looked a shoe-in for the Equus Champion Two-year-old male award after his 5,30 length demolition of the field in the Gr 1 Gold Medallion as that took him to four runs unbeaten, including a comfortable 2,35 length win in the Gr 2 WSB SA Nursery and a win in the Gr 3 Protea Stakes. Lucky Lad will still end up on top in the Equus points table for this award. However, he finished last in the Champion Stakes after being jostled early and then caught wide. The stipendiary steward report on the incident says: "a) LUCKY LAD (R Fourie) was awkwardly placed on the inside of SANDRINGHAM SUMMIT (C Habib) shortly after the start etc."

However, there is no mention of the reason for him finding himself in that "awkwardly placed" position.

The horse in draw 9, Kyomai, jumping at an outward angle coupled with the horse on the very outside, Sandringham Summit, being angled inward after the jump appears to be the combined reason for the incident.

Nevertheless, the incident only caused slight inconvenience to Lucky Lad. Him being trapped out wide from that draw was always going to be a possibility and that is the way it panned out.

It is highly unlikely the trophy would have had a different name on it without that incident at the start, especially considering Sandringham Summit passed the well drawn and previously unbeaten Main Defender as if the latter was standing still and won easing up.

The bare result here has Sandringham Summit facing Lucky Lad in a Gr 1 and beating him by 16,40 lengths. Their only previous meeting was on their respective debuts over 1160m and Lucky Lad prevailed by 0,25 lengths.

So, Saturday's race and the impression created by the top class Sandringham Summit will likely see him winning both the expert panel vote and the public vote and clinching the award, despite Lucky Lad having won a Gr 1, a Gr 2 and a Gr 3 compared to Sandringham Summit's Gr 1 and Gr 2.

The Equus Champion Sprinter award sees Isivunguvungu coming right into the picture after winning the Gr 1 wfa Mercury Sprint over 1200m. It will be a close battle for the award between him and Gimme A Prince. Gimme A Prince will remain on top of the points table courtesy of winning a Gr 2 as well as the Gr 1 wfa Pongracz Cape Flying Championship and the Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint. Isivunguvungu has won two wfa Gr 1s, the other being the Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint over 1000m. However, Gimme A Prince's win with topweight in the Golden Horse Sprint was arguably the best sprinting performance of the season. There is a perfect line pointing to that too, because on Sunday Isivunguvungu beat Surjay and Thunderstruck by 0,30 lengths and 0,60 lengths respectively on weight for age terms, whereas Gimme A Prince beat them by 0,95 lengths and 0,90 lengths respectively giving them 4kg and 6kg respectively over the same distance. The Gr 1 wfa meetings between Isivunguvungu and Gimme A Prince are somewhat ironic because over Isivunguvungu's best trip of 1000m Gimme A Prince beat him by 1,55 lengths and over Gimme A Prince best trip of 1200m Isivunguvungu prevailed by 1,60 lengths. Isivunguvungu could be said to have been unlucky in the Cape Flying, but equally Gimme A Prince was unlucky on Sunday when taking a bump early which forced him to sit further back than he would have liked.

Bless My Stars will replace Make It Snappy at the top of the Equus Three-year-old filly award points table. Voters now have a choice between the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes winner Make It Snappy versus the Gr 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic winner Bless My Stars, who also finished third in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July and won the Gr 2 Gold Bracelet.

Was See It Again's runner up finish in the Champions Cup enough to usurp Charles Dickens from his position as favourite to win the Equus Champion Three-year-old Male Award? It was certainly not enough for the points table part of the award.

The Stayers award will go to World Pool Gold Cup winner Future Pearl, the Middle Distance Award should go to See It Again, the Miler Award should go to Charles Dickens, the Two-year-old filly award will go to Mrs Geriatrix, the Older Female award will go to Princess Calla and the Older Male award looks to be an intriguing fight between Gimme A Prince, Isivunguvungu and Trip Of Fortune.

Picture: Princess Calla is statistically in pole position to claim the Equus Horse Of The Year Award.

Nice one David

Puerto Manzano won two grade ones. The two main Gauteng races of the season Summer Cup and Administrators. 2 other graded races all between 1800 and 2000 meters.

Must have a shout in Equus

If there were awards for these

Jockey of the Year: Richard Fourie. KDM is a deserved champion, but Fourie had a stellar feature race record.

Trainer of the Year: Sean Tarry. See above.

Rookie of the Year: Tony Peter

Training performance of the Year: Tarry – Princess Calla, close second Brett Crawford – Winchester Mansion

Ride of the Year: Any Fourie Graded winner, possibly Jet Dark in the Met.

Breakthrough of the Year: Luyolo Mxothwa. Special mention to Kabelo Matsunyane.

Owners of the Year: Magical Lady Syndicate - Mrs Geriatrix

Next Gen Award: Sandringham Summit

Disappointment of the Year: Cousin Casey. Hoping he is better at 4.

Star Quality Award: Charles Dickens

Kommetdieding Award (small trainer finds that elusive superstar horse): Muis Roberts just over Peter Muscutt

Comeback of the Year: Striker Strydom

Shock of the Year: Al Muthana, Kings Plate

Epic Fail of Year: Lights out Greyville. Close second to the NHA’s handling of several incidents during the season.

Princess Calla leaves best till last to overtake Charles Dickens in the final HOTY Points Table for Season 2022/23


Johannesburg, 1 August 2023

Princess Calla (174 points) won the final Super Grade 1 of the season on Sunday, the Grade 1 HKJC Champions Cup, to finish on top of the 2022/23 Equus Horse of The Year table. Charles Dickens was not active in the review period but easily held on to second place on the table with 144 points. x

Trip of Fortune made no headway from June on 117 points while See It Again climbed to 116 points after his second to Princess Calla in the HKJC Champions Cup. Gimme A Prince was unable to add the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint to his two other Grade 1 victories in the season but has done enough to secure fifth place on the table.

Champion Three-Year-Old Male
Charles Dickens (144) retains his lead in the Champion Three-Year-Old Male category despite See It Again (116) moving closer at season-end. These two were well clear of any other sophomore male.

Champion Three-Year-Old Female
Make It Snappy (64) surrendered her all-season lead in this category in the final race of the season for Fillies and Mares as Bless My Stars (68) added to her “July” third by winning the Grade 2 Riding High Together Gold Bracelet. Consistent place-getter Feather Boa (52) and dual Oak’s winner None Other (48) complete the table.

Champion Older Male and Female
Sunday’s Grade 1 Mercury Sprint winner Isivunguvungu entered the table and finishes fourth in the Champion Older Male category. Trip Of Fortune (117 points), however, did enough in the early part of the season to stay on top of the table with Gimme A Prince (115) a close- second. Dual Highveld Grade 1 winner Puerto Manzano remained on 108 points.

Princess Calla (174) drew well clear of her closest rival Desert Miracle (110) in the final weekend and tops the final Table for Champion Older Female.

Distance Categories
Despite only finishing fourth in Sunday’s Grade 1 Mercury Sprint, Gimme A Prince (103) maintained his lead in the final Champion Sprinter table. Despite not running in a sprint during the month, Princess Calla (94) managed to keep Sunday’s Grade 1 Mercury Sprint winner Isivunguvungu from second place.

With no qualifying miler events in the final month, the table remains as per the previous review in the Champion Miler category. Trip Of Fortune (112) finished on top from Desert Miracle (88), Al Muthana (78), and Charles Dickens (72).

The only mover onto the Champion Middle Distance table for the month is Princess Calla who recorded maximum points in her only middle-distance start of the season. Puerto Manzano (100) finished on top with Rain In Holland (64) in second position and Winchester Mansion (58), in third. Retired Jet Dark (48) finishes in joint 4th with Princess Calla, while See It Again finishes fifth on 44 points.

Future Pearl (28) completed the season with three successive wins over distances of 3000m+, culminating in victory in Sunday’s Grade 3 World Pool Gold Cup, to finish on top of the Champion Stayer table. Gold Cup second Arumugum also finishes second on the final table while Salvator Mundi (23) and Nebraas (22) complete the standings.

Champion Two-Year-Old Male
Lucky Lad (56 points) lost his unbeaten tag on Sunday but still finishes on top of the Two-Year-Old Male table despite a late charge from Sandringham Summit (48).

Champion Two-Year-Old Female
Unbeaten Mrs Geriatrix (64) remains on top of the final table, while Sunday’s Grade 1 Douglas Whyte Stakes winner Bavarian Beauty finishes in joint second with Winter Cloud, both on 32 points.

Public voting will commence on Tuesday, 1 August, and closes on Saturday, 5 August 2023. Please visit equusawards.co.za/equus-awards-2023 / to cast your vote

The final awards ceremony will take place at Emperor’s Palace on 23 August 2023.

ENDS

Public vote is open

Vote now equusawards.co.za/equus-awards-2023/