Equus – The Latest

The top contenders for Horse of The Year were not in action in February and early March and action centred on the Three-Year-Olds, with three Gr1 races being decided, one in Cape Town and two in Johannesburg.

Pomp And Power beats Cosmic Highway in the Concorde – both are in the Equus mix (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)

Pomp and Power beat both Universal and Double Superlative for the Grade 1 Cape Derby vaulting him to the top of the Three-Year-Old colt log and into contention for Horse of The Year.

Rain in Holland opened her Autumn campaign by taking the first two legs of the Triple Tiara, but she remains 18 points adrift of Chansonette for the Champion Three-Year-Old Filly award. These two wins were enough however to place her onto the log and in contention for the Horse of the Year Award.

Safe Passage took the first leg of the Triple Crown with a win in the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas but was pipped in the second leg, the Grade 1 SA Classic. This 1-2 sequence was enough to place him in second position in the Champion Three-Year-Old log and elevate him into the Horse of The Year log.

Kommetdieding, Jet Dark, Captain’s Ransom and Chansonette remain at the top of the Horse of The Year log with 72 points. Pomp and Power (64), Rain in Holland (54) and Safe Passage (48) are new entrants onto the log.

Champion Three-Year-Old Colt

Double Superlative (46 points) was displaced at the top of the log by Pomp and Power (64) and Safe Passage (48), while Red Saxon (40) and Cosmic Highway (39) enter the log for the first time.

Red Saxon won the Grade 1 SA Classic from Safe Passage while Cosmic Highway beat another sophomore, Trip of Fortune, to take the Grade 2 Diadem Stakes.

Safe Passage and Red Saxon could build on their points position in the coming month with both likely to contest the Grade 1 SA Derby, where a further 32 points is available to the winner.

Champion Three-Year-Old Filly

Chansonette on 72 points remained in firm first place in the sophomore filly category with her four points-accumulating efforts from November to January.

Chansonette heads the 3yo fillies category (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)

Rain in Holland (54) is in hot pursuit of both the Triple Tiara and leadership in the sophomore filly category.

She starts in the SA Oaks at the beginning of April but the 16 points on offer to the winner there would still leave her 2 points adrift of Chansonette.

Sprinkles (34), Desert Miracle (32) and Big Burn (22) make up the log.

Champion Older Male and Female

There has been no change in the Champion Older Male log with no notable races or performances displacing the current top five from February. The log is headed by Kommetdieding and Jet Dark on 72 points, followed by Bohica and Seeking The Stars on 40 points, with Flying Carpet on 32 points in fifth position.

The only major points accumulating opportunity for the older females in February saw Princess Calla moving into fourth spot after her win in the Grade 3 Prix du Cap. Captain’s Ransom remains firmly in top position on the Older Female log with 72 points. Sparkling Water (30), Bold Fortune (24), Princess Calla (20) and Kitty Kat Chat (16) follow.

Distance Categories

Cosmic Highway took the Grade 2 Diadem Stakes in February to move into second place in the Champion Sprinter category. Bohica remains on top of the log with 40 points, followed by Cosmic Highway (20), Mr Cobbs (20), Kitty Kat Chat (16) and Vikram (16).

The Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes attracted the only action on the log for Champion Miler in the review period.

Al Muthana wwins the Gr2 Hawaii Stakes (Pic – JC Photos)

The winner Al Muthana won his first Graded race but that was not enough to see him enter the log. Third placed MK’s Pride did however enter the log for the first time. Jet Dark leads on 48 points followed by Captain’s Ransom and Seeking The Stars on 40 points, with MK’s Pride (29) and Bingwa (26) completing the log.

There was no change to the log for the Champion Middle Distance category in the review period. Kommetdieding leads that category with 48 points, with Captain’s Ransom and Flying Carpet on 32 points, followed by Jet Dark (24) and Firealley (21).

Shangani entered the log for the Champion Stayer award with a fluent win in the Listed Aquanaut Handicap, adding to his previous win in the Java Stakes. Sparkling Water retains her lead in the category on 20 points followed by Holy Warrior, Doublemint and Shangani, all on 10 points, with Chrome Yellow (8) completing the log.

Racing action remains firmly focussed on the Highveld in the coming month with the Grade 1 Horse Chestnut Stakes the highlight of the next review period. This race, offering 48 points to the winner, will likely feature current Horse of The Year leader, Kommetdieding.

The third leg of the Triple Crown and Tiara will likely see changes to the Three-Year-Old log’s and possibly the Horse of The Year Log.

The Grade 2 Senor Santa Stakes and Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes offer a further 20 points to each winner in the Champion Sprinter and Champion Middle Distance categories respectively, while the Grade 3 Caradoc Gold Cup offers a further 10 points to the winner in the Champion Stayers category.

Equus Awards 2022 – Points Tables to 5 March 2022