Could Durban July winner Heavy Metal be the next Horse Of The Year?
Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July winner Heavy Metal put his name firmly into the hat of possible names considered for the title of Horse of the Year.
But who are his challengers? Clearly last season’s champion Variety Club is the leading contender at this stage to take home top honours. The magnificent son of Var is unbeaten in five starts, and has defeated most of the country’s top performers in decisive fashion.
His victories in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and Rising Sun Challenge were flawless displays, and Variety Club defeated both What A Winter and Beach Beauty comprehensively.
Champion sprinter What A Winter is another who has done nothing wrong this season. The winner of his last four in a row, What A Winter (who has a higher international rating than Variety Club), has won six of eight starts this season. The charismatic son of Western Winter, like Variety Club, has won two Gr1 features in 2012-2013, and is clearly the best sprinter in the country. He could well make it three Gr1 victories when What A Winter competes in what is expected to be his swansong – Saturday’s Gr1 Mercury Sprint.
Heavy Metal, in his turn, does not have such an impressive record, overall, as his principal rivals. The son of Silvano has won just three of eight starts – but two of his wins came in two of the country’s most high-profile contests, the President’s Champion Challenge and Vodacom Durban July. Not only did Heavy Metal win the July under 59.5 kgs, conceding weight to all but Pomodoro, he also ran a cracker when second in the Gr3 Jubilee Handicap under 62.5 kgs.
While the gutsy mare Beach Beauty has not a Gr1 win over males to her credit, the daughter of Dynasty has enjoyed a superb season this season. She has captured two WFA Gr1 contests (Garden Province Stakes, Paddock Stakes), and has the impressive seasonal record of five wins in eight starts.
Of Beach Beauty’s five victories in 2012-2013, four are in graded company -two of which came against males (Drill Hall Stakes, Premier’s Trophy). She was also a creditable third in this season’s Gr1 J&B Met, where Beach Beauty accounted for such high-profile colts as Pomodoro and Jackson.
Star 3yo Vercingetorix has done nothing wrong, and while he is yet to take on open company, it says a lot for the colt that he has progressed in less than three months from winning a maiden plate to capturing the Gr1 Daily News 2000, defeating the cream of South Africa’s 3yos in the process.
While Capetown Noir will have his share of supporters when it comes to the awards process, Vercingetorix looks to have done enough to have wrapped up an Equus Award. One thoroughbred who never raced this season, but who set a new standard of excellence for the South African thoroughbred is Silvano. Not only did the Lomitas horse set a new record for a sire in a single season, but he had no fewer than 12 stakes winners during the year – of whom five were Grade One winners.
Sire of the 1-3 in Saturday’s Gr1 Vodacom Durban July, Silvano was represented by a truly magnificent crop of 3yos. This crop includes no fewer than 13 stakes horses. His year got even better, when Silvano son Lucky Speed won one of Europe’s premier classic races, the G1 Deutsches Derby on Sunday.
While Horse of the Year honours looks to be a contentious issue, there are a number of other Equus Awards which look far from straightforward. Following some upsets in Saturday’s major juvenile features, both titles of juvenile colt and filly look up for grabs. One award which looks sure to cause plenty of debate is that of champion 3yo filly.
Cherry On The Top became only the second filly ever to win the Triple Tiara, defeating the high-class filly Do You Remember in each of the three contests. The latter, however, turned the tables on her longtime rival with a game win in the Gr1 Woolavington Stakes, and then ran a cracker to finish third in the July.
However, another filly also has strong claims to the title. The superb sprinter Via Africa has had a magnificent season, winning three features, including the Gr1 SA FIllies Sprint. What could give the flying filly an edge over her rivals, are a pair of seconds, against older males, in both the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship and Gr1 Computaform Sprint. Also, unlike her rivals, Via Africa competed at the highest level in three different provinces.
July pedigrees
Heavy Metal is the latest in a long line of serious racehorses produced by the Nijinsky II/Blushing Groom cross. His sire Silvano has done very well when mated to Blushing Groom line mares, with the cross having produced such notables as Met winner Martial Eagle, Guineas winner Tellina and Algoa Cup winner Forest of Dean. Foveros matron Tight Drums had a July to remember. The former Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship runner up is the second dam of both July winner Heavy Metal and shock Golden Slipper heroine For The Lads.
First season sires also shone at Saturday’s big race meeting. Not only did the sensational Judpot sire his first Gr1 winner (Forest Indigo in the Golden Horseshoe), but the son of A P is also the sire of G1 Golden Slipper runner up Along Came Polly. Another first crop sire (locally at any rate), Antonius Pius himself was responsible for a big race winner when his son Ace Antonius won the R1 000 000 KZN Yearling Sale Million.
