The 2023/24 season KZN Breeders Awards were held at the popular Granny Mouse Country House in Balgowan in the KZN Midlands on Friday evening.
Quid Pro Quo (Piere Strydom) has been crowned Horse Of The Year (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
A typically widely supportive turnout from the tightly-knit community celebrated the locally-bred stars of last term, with the Kalil family homebred Quid Pro Quo achieving a thoroughly deserved acknowledgement in being crowned Horse Of The Year off a record-breaking 2yo season.
The Barend Botes-trained daughter of the Heuningsfontein-based largely unheralded Jet Master stallion Lance stole the show, and besides celebrating the evening’s sought-after big trophy earned top honours in the Champion 2yo Filly, Champion Sprinter Female, and Champion Middle Distance Female, categories, as well as a Breeders Achievement award for the delighted Gerald and Karen Kalil.
A home-baked fairtytale for a filly who couldn’t get past a R60k best bid in the sales ring!
Quid Pro Quo, who delivered such an explosive performance last Saturday when obliterating the males in the fashion of a standout champion to win the Betway Gr2 Dingaans, looks well set to continue at even greater heights this season.
Another notable multiple winner on the evening was the Bush Hill-bred New Predator colt, Purple Pitcher.
A winner of 7 races in a season where his star soared from a humble Vaal maiden winner to a dual Grade 1 achiever, Purple Pitcher gave owner Stinky Pooe the ride of his life, and his runner-up berth behind Atticus Finch in last Saturday’s R6 million Betway Gr1 Summer Cup suggests there is plenty more to come in his 4yo season.
A winner of two legs of the SA Triple Crown in both the TAB Gr1 SA Classic and the TAB Gr1 SA Derby, Purple Pitcher maintained a golden thread of consistency out of the Robyn Klaasen yard.
Purple Pitcher won the Champion 3yo Male, the Champion Middle Distance Male and Champion Stayer titles, while his late sire New Predator was Stallion Of The Year and his Mom, the Count Dubois mare Helianthus, was crowned Broodmare Of The Year.
Bush Hill Stud were named Breeders Of The Year, having also delivered another dual winner on the evening in DantonfromSandton, and Electric Gold, who was named Champion Older Male.
