Busy awards weekend and now EQUUS time
It has been a busy weekend in Phumelela controlled racing jurisdictions. The Western Cape Racing Association Awards and the Cape Breeders Awards for the 2014/2015 season were presented concurrently at a well attended and convivial ceremony at the magnificent Lanzerac Hotel in Stellenbosch, while Kimberley’s annual RA Award ceremony was held at the Protea Hotel.
The guidelines for the Cape Racing Association Awards were as follows: Horses – any horse trained by a Western Cape domiciled trainer; Trainers/Jockeys – the leading Western Cape domiciled trainer/jockey as per the National Log in respect of Stakes/Wins.
The brilliant Dynasty colt Futura, who won the Gr 1 J&B Met and the Gr 1 L’Ormarin’s Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth for original trainer Brett Crawford before winning the Gr 1 Champions Cup at Greyville for new trainer Justin Snaith, was expectedly named the region’s Horse Of The Year. Futura also walked away with the Older Male Of The Year and Champion Middle Distance Of The Year awards.
The Mike Bass-trained Jet Master mare Fly By Night won two awards, Champion Sprinter and Older Female Of The Year.
The top class Joey Ramsden-trained Dynasty colt Act Of War was a runaway winner of the Three-year-old Male Of The Year award and the dual Gr 1-winning Bass-trained Trippi filly Inara was the expected winner of the Three-year-old Filly Of The Year Award.
Progeny of Captain Al made a clean sweep of the two-year-old awards, the Ronnie Sheehan-trained colt Captain Chaos winning Juvenile Male Of The Year award and the Glen Kotzen-trained Princess Royal winning the Juvenile Filly Of The Year award.
The dual Gr 3-winning Ramsden-trained Argentinian-bred Giant’s Causeway gelding Coltrane won the Champion Stayer Of The Year Award.
Justin Snaith retained his Cape Trainer Of The Year title and Greg Cheyne was Cape Jockey Of The Year.
Justin Andrew was the WP Grooms’ School Workrider of the Year and Xavier Carstens was Cape Apprentice Of The Year.
Markus and Ingrid Jooste were once again Cape Owners Of The Year.
There was rapturous applause for popular trainer Stan Elley, who retired at the end of the season on a high note after 41 years as a trainer, when going forward to receive an Acknowledgement Of Achievement award. Robert Bloomberg, who has worn many hats in racing as an owner, breeder, director, legal representative, panelist, racing analyst, punter and tipster, also deservedly received an Acknowledgement of Achievement Award.
Klawervlei Stud, owned in partnership by John Koster, Markus Jooste, Chris van Niekerk and Bernard Kantor, was named Cape Breeder Of The Year.
The Riverton Stud-bred Captain Al colt Captain Of All was named the Cape Breeders’ Horse Of The Year and he also won the Champion Sprinter and Older Male awards. Captain Of All will soon start stud duties at Champion Breeders Klawervlei Stud, where he will join his father Captain Al and others.
The Racing Association recognises Champions in Kimberley at Flamingo Park by way of NHRA statistics in the region. RA Chairman of the Northern Cape Chapter Cliffie Miller presented Horse Of The Year to Black Pepper’s connections, Thienis Prinsloo, Mr Kirsten and Mr Singh. Champion Trainer was awarded to Bill Human. The talented Muzi Yeni was announced as Champion Jockey in the region and Owners Of The Season were “Our Friends From The North Syndicate”.
The Equus Awards will be held tonight at Emperor’s Palace.
