Champion Older Filly/Mare: The Snaith’s Hurricane Katrina
The Daytona Stud-bred Lord Badger scooped the Horse Of The Year award at the East Cape Racing Awards held at Arlington Racecourse on Saturday evening. The well performed Badger’s Drift 4yo won five races in the past season, including a listed feature event.
The winner of the hotly contested Champion Three-Year-Old Colt category,Alan Greef’s Badger;’s Drift gelding Lord Badger got the vote over two good sorts in Blaze Of Fire and Forest Digger. Lord Badger won the Listed East Cape Guineas beating both of his adversaries.
But one must question whether a horse who has yet to win at Group level is a deserving bearer of such a heady title? All of the category winners on the evening were considered for the Horse Of The Year title, and only one was a Group race winner. It is possible that the judging panel could not get their heads around giving the award to a 2yo.
The very talented Albert Hall filly Deepo scooped the Champion Two-Year-Old Filly award courtesy off her easy win in the Listed Lady’s Slipper in mid-June. Gavin Smith’s charge has won three of her six career starts.
The only Group winner in the past season amongst the individual winners was the Champion Two Year Old Colt Sedge. He, like his stablemate Deepo, has won three of his six outings and the Maine Chance Farms-bred Silvano gelding made a big statement with his emphatic win in the Gr3 Champion Juvenile Stakes
Justin Snaith’s Listed East Cape Oaks winner Alvilda was a shoe-in for the Champion Three Year Old filly award. One of the most improved horses in training, Jallad’s daughter has started the new season in winning fashion with a smooth win in the Listed Jockey Club Stakes at the end of last month.
Snaith also trained the winner of the Champion Older Filly / Mare award in Hurricane Katrina, while his Spectrum gelding Apolo Grey grabbed the Champion Sprinter accolade against the smart Icemberg and Var’s legendary first ever Gr1 winner, Villandry.
CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY-DEEPO
CHAMPION TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT / GELDING-SEDGE
CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY-ALVILDA
CHAMPION THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT/GELDING-LORD BADGER
CHAMPION OLDER FILLY / MARE-HURRICANE KATRINA
CHAMPION OLDER COLT/GELDING/HORSE-TOMCAT
CHAMPION SPRINTER- APOLO GREY
CHAMPION STAYER-INCA’S SPIRIT
CHAMPION OWNER BY WINS-MR A L A CRABBIA
CHAMPION OWNER BY STAKES-MR A L A CRABBIA
CHAMPION APPRENTICE-MR S NAIDOO
CHAMPION JOCKEY-MR RICHARD FOURIE
CHAMPION TRAINER-MR G D SMITH
HORSE OF THE YEAR-LORD BADGER
