Princess Calla (174 points) won the final Super Grade 1 of the season on Sunday, the Grade 1 HKJC Champions Cup, to finish on top of the 2022/23 Equus Horse of The Year table.
Charles Dickens was not active in the review period but easily held on to second place on the table with 144 points.
Princess Calla and Richard Fourie return after their Gr1 victory (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Trip of Fortune made no headway from June on 117 points while See It Again climbed to 116 points after his second to Princess Calla in the HKJC Champions Cup. Gimme A Prince was unable to add the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint to his two other Grade 1 victories in the season but has done enough to secure fifth place on the table.
- Champion Three-Year-Old Male
Charles Dickens (144) retains his lead in the Champion Three-Year-Old Male category despite See It Again (116) moving closer at season-end. These two were well clear of any other sophomore male.
- Champion Three-Year-Old Female
Make It Snappy (64) surrendered her all-season lead in this category in the final race of the season for Fillies and Mares as Bless My Stars (68) added to her “July” third by winning the Grade 2 Riding High Together Gold Bracelet. Consistent place-getter Feather Boa (52) and dual Oak’s winner None Other (48) complete the table.
- Champion Older Male and Female
Sunday’s Grade 1 Mercury Sprint winner Isivunguvungu entered the table and finishes fourth in the Champion Older Male category. Trip Of Fortune (117 points), however, did enough in the early part of the season to stay on top of the table with Gimme A Prince (115) a close- second. Dual Highveld Grade 1 winner Puerto Manzano remained on 108 points.
Princess Calla (174) drew well clear of her closest rival Desert Miracle (110) in the final weekend and tops the final Table for Champion Older Female.
- Distance Categories
Despite only finishing fourth in Sunday’s Grade 1 Mercury Sprint, Gimme A Prince (103) maintained his lead in the final Champion Sprinter table.
Despite not running in a sprint during the month, Princess Calla (94) managed to keep Sunday’s Grade 1 Mercury Sprint winner Isivunguvungu from second place.
With no qualifying miler events in the final month, the table remains as per the previous review in the Champion Miler category. Trip Of Fortune (112) finished on top from Desert Miracle (88), Al Muthana (78), and Charles Dickens (72).
The only mover onto the Champion Middle Distance table for the month is Princess Calla who recorded maximum points in her only middle-distance start of the season. Puerto Manzano (100) finished on top with Rain In Holland (64) in second position and Winchester Mansion (58), in third. Retired Jet Dark (48) finishes in joint 4th with Princess Calla, while See It Again finishes fifth on 44 points.
Future Pearl (28) completed the season with three successive wins over distances of 3000m+, culminating in victory in Sunday’s Grade 3 World Pool Gold Cup, to finish on top of the Champion Stayer table. Gold Cup second Arumugum also finishes second on the final table while Salvator Mundi (23) and Nebraas (22) complete the standings.
- Champion Two-Year-Old Male
Lucky Lad (56 points) lost his unbeaten tag on Sunday but still finishes on top of the Two-Year-Old Male table despite a late charge from Sandringham Summit (48).
- Champion Two-Year-Old Female
Unbeaten Mrs Geriatrix (64) remains on top of the final table, while Sunday’s Grade 1 Douglas Whyte Stakes winner Bavarian Beauty finishes in joint second with Winter Cloud, both on 32 points.
Public voting will commence Tuesday 1 August and closes on Saturday, 5 August 2023.
Please visit https://equusawards.co.za/equus-awards-2023 / to cast your vote.
The final awards ceremony will take place at Emperor’s Palace on 23 August 2023.
