Var Mare Is Horse Of The Year

Local stars honoured

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The East Cape Racing Awards were held at Fairview Racecourse on Saturday evening with gallant Var mare Star Burst Galaxy lifting the Regional Horse Of The Year honours as well as the Champion Older Mare accolade.

Bred by Ian Heyns, Star Burst Galaxy is out of the three-time winning Majestic Star (Doowaley).

She is a half-sister to Justin Snaith’s promising 2017 Gr3 Victress Stakes winner, Star Express.

Originally purchased by Mayfair Speculators off the 2015 Emperors Palace Select Yearling Sale for R800 000, she changed hands recently following the unbundling of the former SA champion owners.

Trained by Tara Laing, Star Burst Galaxy raced for Cape-based Etienne Braun and Paul Loomes, who resides in KZN. She has been retired to stud.

Gail Rheeder accepts the Champion Poytrack Mare award for Meritocracy from Larry Wainstein in the absence of the Yvette Bremner yard (Pic – Paulne Herman Photography)

CHAMPION 2YO OLD FILLY

Madame Speaker

CHAMPION 2YO COLT/GELDING

Alfeo

CHAMPION 3YO OLD FILLY

Widow’s Lamp

CHAMPION 3YO OLD COLT/GELDING

Sabbatical

CHAMPION OLDER FILLY/MARE

Star Burst Galaxy

CHAMPION OLDER COLT/GELDING

Stormy Eclipse

CHAMPION SPRINTER

Exelero

CHAMPION STAYER

Desert Wisdom

CHAMPION POLY TRACK FILLY/MARE

Meritocracy

Miracle Bureau got the Champion PolytrackGelding award – Peter Naidoo hands the awar to trainer Tara Laing (3rd left) and Juhanay van der Berg and workrider Justine King (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)

CHAMPION POLY TRACK COLT/GELDING

Miracle Bureau

CHAMPION JOCKEY

Greg Cheyne

CHAMPION JOCKEY (Local)

Teaque Gould

CHAMPION APPRENTICE

Lyle Hewitson

CHAMPION WORKRIDER

B Nkunzi

CHAMPION GROOM

N Mkalali

CHAMPION TRAINER

Alan Greeff

CHAMPION OWNER

Mayfair Speculators

HORSE OF THE YEAR

Star Burst Galaxy

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Var Mare Is Horse Of The Year