Marinaresco is KZN Horse of the Season
EQUUS Champion Marinaresco was crowned KZN Horse of the Season at the Gold Circle KZN Racing awards held at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban on Friday evening.
Second in the Vodacom Durban July and winner of the Gr1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup on the last day of the season, Marinaresco hit the headlines from the time he was pencilled in for the July, forsaking the final leg of the Cape Winter Series having already won the Tekkie Town Winter Guineas and the Winter Classic.
Marinaresco
Marinaresco was trained by Mike Bass and provided a fitting finale to the veteran trainer’s career as he handed over his yard to daughter Candice the following day.
Ashburton-based trainers dominated the awards with Duncan Howells collecting three trophies.
Dawn Calling, owned by Dave MacLean, collected the Best performance by a Two-year-old Filly where Howells had all three nominations KZN HORSE & GROOM OF THE YEAR Marinaresco Tandas Makhoba
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A TWO-YEAROLD FILLY
Dawn Calling Trainer: Duncan Howells Owner: Mr D D MacLean Breeder: Mr&Mrs A W Procter
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A TWO-YEAR OLD MALE
Gunner Trainer: Paul Gadsby including A Womans Way and KZN Million winner Lunar Rush.
The Howells-trained Cosmic Light was judged to have put up the best performance by a three-year-old filly for owner Hester Kuhn and Red Jack Trading.
The Drakenstein Stud-owned Same Jurisdiction collected the trophy for Best performance by an Older Filly or Mare.
Weiho Marwing,
Weiho Marwing, now permanently based at Ashburton, was on hand to collect trophies for Best performance by an older Male and also Middle Distance for Gr1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Mac De Lago who races in the colours of Hassen Adams.
Best performance by a two-year-old male went to another Ashburtonbased trainer.
Paul Gadsby and a host of owners collected the trophy for Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes winner Gunner.
Summerveld-based Dennis Drier was again KZN Champion trainer by number of winners in the province, edging Howells by seven.
Drier also collected the Best performance by a Sprinter for Gr2 Cape
Owners: Mr N Lalla&Mrs A Lalla, Mr H Adams, Mr K T &Mrs M I Carelse& K & K Syndicate (Nom: Mrs K S Mahabeer) Breeder: Nadeson Park
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A THREE-YEAR- OLD FILLY
Cosmic Light Trainer: Duncan Howells Owners: Mrs H Kuhn & Red Jack Trading (Pty) Ltd Breeder: Maine Chance Farms (Pty) Ltd
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A THREE-YEAR- OLD MALE
Exit Here Trainer: Charles Laird Owners: The Fire Racing Trust (Nom :MrAlesh Naidoo) &Mr M J Jooste Breeder: Moutonshoek
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN OLDER HORSE - FEMALE
Merchants winnerTriptique who races in Braam van Huyssteen’s silks.
Equus Award winners Ingrid and Markus Jooste were also KZN’s leading owners by prizemoney and Summerhill Stud, the country’s Champion Breeders for the 10th time, also had the honour of being leading
Same Jurisdiction Trainer: Duncan Howells Owners: Drakenstein Stud (Nom :Mrs G Rupert), Messrs D C Howells, L C Vermaak, Dr R H Katzwinkel&Mrs M A M Powell Breeder: Klawervlei Stud
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN OLDER HORSE -MALE
Mac De Lago Trainer: WeihoMarwing Owners: Messrs H Adams, C F Delport, D Chinsammy, Lawrence Pillay, T J Smith & O D T Visser Breeder: Mr G Downey, Vic, Australia
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SPRINTER
Triptique Trainer: Dennis Drier Owners: Messrs A J van breeders in their home province by stakes won.
Roy Moodley was the leading KZNbased owner by stakes won.
Anthony Delpech was leading jockey and Eric Ngwane leading apprentice.
Paul Lafferty, racehorse trainer, television
Huyssteen, William Henderson & J W Rauch Breeder: Moutonshoek
BEST PERFORMANCE OVER A MIDDLE DISTANCE
Mac De Lago Trainer: WeihoMarwing Owners: Messrs H Adams, C F Delport, D Chinsammy, Lawrence Pillay, T J Smith & O D T Visser Breeder: Mr G Downey, Vic, Australia
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A STAYER
Enaad Trainer: Mike de Kock Owners: Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd Breeder: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum.
CHAMPION KZN APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
Eric Ngwane presenter and stand-up comic was a popular recipient of KZN Personality of the Year.
In a new category voted for by the racing public, Piere Strydom got Ride of the Season for his handling of The Conglomerate in the Vodacom Durban July, winning from 18 draw.
CHAMPION KZN JOCKEY OF THE YEAR
Anthony Delpech
CHAMPION KZN TRAINER OF THE YEAR
Dennis Drier
CHAMPION KZN BREEDER OF THE YEAR
Summerhill Stud Farm
KZNOTA OWNER OF THE YEAR
Roy Moodley
CHAMPION KZN OWNER OF THE YEAR
Ingrid & Markus Jooste
ANITA AKAL PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
DrNicLabuschagne
KZN RACING PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Paul Lafferty
KZN RIDE OF THE YEAR
PiereStrydom (The Conglomerate Vodacom Durban July)