While the Equus committee delivered a polished show with public voting a la Cartier Racing Awards style introduced for the first time this year, they did trainer Justin Snaith and jockey Richard Fourie ‘a disservice’, in the words of a leading racing personality, by failing to acknowledge their Gr1 winning achievements.
This is the opinion of veteran racing man John Freeman, who told the Sporting Post that this observation was in no way intended to detract from the extraordinary achievements of newly crowned champion trainer Paul Peter and jockey Warren Kennedy.
Richard Fourie is flanked by Captain’s Ransom owners Suzette and Basie Viljoen after the Gr1 Mercury Sprint (Pic – Candiese Leneferna)
“Paul Peter and Warren Kennedy are deserving recipients of the championship titles and nobody is arguing that. But given the fact that Justin Snaith saddled 9 Gr1 winners over the season, and Richard Fourie lifted 9 Gr1 trophies, surely a mention or accolade at the awards would have been appropriate? Look at the Snaith table at Equus– it was loaded with silverware,” added Freeman.
With Mauritzfontein and Wilgerbosdrift crowned champion breeders for last term, Drakenstein were rightfully acknowledged with an ‘Outstanding Breeder’ award for their new record of breeding 18 stakes winners in the season. That coincidentally broke the previous benchmark of 12 set by Mauritzfontein and Wilgerbosdrift.
Now sponsored by industry leader Winning Form, the Carletonville-born Richard Fourie declared his Gr1 target near late mid-season to be 10, but won’t be losing any sleep having ‘only’ finished on 9 with SA Horse Of The Year Captain’s Ransom providing the climax at Hollywoodbets Greyville on ‘Super Saturday’ with victory in the Mercury Sprint.
There was talk that Fourie had targetted Jeff Llloyd’s season tally of 7 Gr1’s, but informed SP readers, including now Aussie-based former Durban jockey and Weichong’s former ‘kit boy’ Chris Taylor, pointed out Weichong Marwing’s extraordinary 1998/99 season where he won 13 Gr1’s.
Justin Snaith is all smiles after the Gr1 Mercury Sprint as he is interviewed by Warren Lenferna (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
That 3yo season of the great Horse Chestnut included Weichong riding 9 of his Gr1 victories for Mike de Kock.
While the SA season runs from 1 August to 31 July, Chris Taylor also points out that the De Kock/ Marwing combination achieved 12 Gr1 wins in the space of 12 months from the 1998 Gold Challenge to the 99 SA Derby.
In a chat with the Sporting Post on Sunday, Weichong, who now trains out of Turffontein, recalled that the pre-millenium period was a halcyon season, where stallion Fort Wood played a major part.
“Those were great days and I have wonderful memories of them. We travelled to the Cape and won the big ones there. A great training achievement by Mike de Kock!”
Weichong has started well, with some great support, and says he picked up three nice 2yo’s at last week’s sale.
“I haven’t got big-spending owners but I feel we bought well and it’s a game that takes great patience. I have the work ethic and have learnt from the best – so I have no excuses,” he laughed.
