Abashiri is up for awards
Abashiri, winner of this year’s SA Triple Crown, has been nominated in two categories of this year’s Equus Awards.
The winners of the 2015/16 season will be announced at a banquet to be held on Tuesday August 16 at the Convention Centre, Emperors Palace in Kempton Park.
Abashiri has been named in the Champion Three-YearOld and Champion Stayers categories.
He won the Triple Crown after capturing the Grade 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas over 1 600m, the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1 800m and the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2 450m.
That last win is what got him his Champion Stayers nomination as any race from 2 400m upwards is considered a long-distance event.
The only other runner nominated in that category in Mike de Kock-trained Enaad who won both the Grade 2 Gold Vase over 3 000m and the Grade 2 eLan Gold Cup over 3 200m.
The other runners nominated in the three-year-old colt/gelding slot are Cape Derby winner and Vodacom Durban July fourth-placed It’s My Turn, Grade 1 Mike And Carol Bass Champions Cup winner and second in the Durban July Marinaresco, Cape Guineas champion Noah From Goa who is now out of the country and Rabada, winner of the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville.
Most of the categories look to be hotly contested except that of Champion Older Male who has only had one nominee.
Although no name is alongside the release from the Racing Association one would have to have been living in an igloo in the Arctic Circle for the past year not to know that it has to be Legal Eagle.
The Equus Committee comprised Larry Wainstein (Chairman), Clyde Basel and Graeme Hawkins while the judges panel included Andrew Harrison, Matthew Lips, Roger Smith, Jay Harrielall, Robert Garner, Graeme Hawkins, Nico Kritsiotis and Larry Wainstein (non-voting chairperson)
Tellytrack will be treating South African racing fans to live coverage of the event. The following are the categories and the nominees:
CHAMPION TWO-YEAROLD COLT (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL): Always In Charge, Gunner, Zodiac Ruler
CHAMPION TWO-YEARFILLY (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL): Cloth Of Cloud, Querari Falcon, The Secret Is Out
CHAMPION THREE-YEAROLD COLT (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL): Abashiri, It’s My Turn, Marinaresco, Noah From Goa, Rabada
CHAMPION THREE-YEAROLD FILLY (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL): Bela-Bela, Juxtapose, Silver Mountain
CHAMPION OLDER MALE (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL): Only 1 nominee
CHAMPION OLDER FILLY/ MARE (DISTANCE IMMATERIAL): Carry On Alice, Inara, Smart Call
CHAMPION SPRINTER (1000-1200 METRES ; AGE/ GENDER IMMATERIAL): Carry On Alice, Gulf Storm, Red Ray, Talk To The Stars
CHAMPION MILER (14001600; AGE/GENDER IMMATERIAL): Inara, Legal Eagle
CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE HORSE (1800-2200 METRES; AGE/GENDER IMMATERIAL): Legal Eagle, Smart Call
CHAMPION STAYER (2400 METRES UPWARDS; AGE/ GENDER IMMATERIAL): Abashiri, Enaad (Aus).