With a big month of Gr1 racing ahead in the Cape during January, and six months left of the season on the Highveld and KZN after that, the Equus SA Champion Owner title looks likely to change hands for the first time in a decade at the end of the current racing season.
John Koster receives the 2014 owner of the year award on behalf of the Joostes from Vidrik Thurling
The unbundling of Markus Jooste’s title holding Mayfair Speculators, who have earned close on R5 million in stakes to date and currently lead their nearest rivals, the Rupert family’s Drakenstein Stud, by some R3,3 million, opens the way for a new champion owner for 2017/18.
L’Ormarin’s Gaynor Rupert on left
The powerful Drakenstein Stud, who are represented by a host of leading contenders at the two-day L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Festival Of Racing, must be leading contenders for the title – but the playing field is a far more level and competitive one sans the Mayfair Speculators behemoth, and there are other players that will be in the running.
The Fosters on Guineas day (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
These include Sabine Plattner, Mario Ferreira, Mauritzfontein Stud, as well as the Honourable Gillian and Alec Foster, who enjoyed a prolific Cape Guineas day recently.
Leading Sean Tarry patron and Kenilworth Racing Chairman Chris Van Niekerk is just below the Fosters on the table, with St John Gray, the Hyperpaint Syndicate (Nom: Mr G T Peter) and KZN based Roy Moodley further down the log.
A big player could also be the new Legal Eagle partnership, that includes longstanding owner Braam van Huyssteen. The dual SA Horse Of the Year could well win three or four Gr1’s in the next few months.
