Puerto Manzano became the first horse in the current season to win two open Grade 1 events and in so doing leapt clear of his rivals in search of Horse of The Year honours for 2023.
His narrow win in Saturday’s Grade 1 World Sports Betting Premier’s Champions Challenge at Turffontein saw his points tally rise to 98 for the season which places him clear of the Drakenstein pair of Trip Of Fortune and Charles Dickens.
Keagan de Melo and Puerto Manzano are welcomed by the Johan Janse van Vuuren team after their narrow Gr1 victory (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Desert Miracle added the Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes to her Grade 1 Schweppes Majorca Stakes to propel her into fourth position on the log.
On 1 May 2023, the Horse of The Year Table has Puerto Manzano leading with 98 points, followed by Trip Of Fortune (87), Charles Dickens (80), Desert Miracle (78), Jet Dark (70), Gimme A Prince (66), and Make It Snappy (64 points).
Several key contests mark the final three months of the season, and much will be up for grabs in search of Equus honours in the KZN Winter season.
- Champion Three-Year-Old Colt
Only Billy Bowlegs added to his points tally in April after his fourth place in the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Premier’s Champions Challenge, which moves him from sixth to third on the log.
Despite not having raced since February, Charles Dickens remains firmly in command at the top of the table on 80 points followed by
Anfields Rocket (52), Billy Bowlegs (38), Cousin Casey (36), and the two Derby winners See It Again and Son of Raj both on 32 points.
- Champion Three-Year-Old Filly
Feather Boa completed her fourth second in a Points race for the season when finishing behind Desert Miracle in the Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes and this helped her into second position behind Make it Snappy.
Make It Snappy, despite not having raced since January, remains firmly in control of the table on 64 points, followed by Feather Boa (48), Bless My Stars (42), and Ciao Bella and None Other on 32 points.
- Champion Older Male and Female
Puerto Manzano (98 points) moves from fourth on the Older Male table to first and this places him above Trip of Fortune (87), Jet Dark (70), Gimme A Prince (66), and Saturday’s Grade 1 Computaform Sprint winner Isivunguvungu (50 points).
Desert Miracle’s win in the Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes propels her to top of the table in the Older Female category on 78 points, displacing previous table-topper Princess Calla on 62 points. These two are well clear of the rest with Under Your Spell (38), Captain’s Ransom (36) and Rain in Holland (32) making up the table.
- Distance Categories
Saturday’s Grade 1 Computaform Sprint winner Isivunguvungu (50 points) moves onto the Champion Sprinter table and into third position, but the table is still dominated by Gimme A Prince on 66 points, while Princess Calla (62 points) retains her second spot. Monday’s Grade 3 Champagne Stakes winner, Rio Querari (28), remains in fourth spot with Bereave (26) in fifth position.
Isivunguvungu (Richard Fourie) is well clear of his field in the Jonsson Workwear Gr1 Computaform Sprint (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Desert Miracle (72 points) climbs to second position on the Champion Milder table, but Trip Of Fortune (87) remains at the top of the table. Al Muthana (48 points), Under Your Spell (38), and Charles Dickens and MK’s Pride, both 24 points, complete the Champion Miler table.
Puerto Manzano is now well clear of the Champion Middle Distance table on 90 points after Saturday’s winning effort, followed by Jet Dark (48), and Make It Snappy, Rain In Holland, and Nexus, all on 32 points.
With the postponement of Saturday’s Grade 3 World Sports Betting Gold Bowl there was no movement on the Champion Stayer table in April. Salvator Mundi leads the table with 23 points followed by Nebraas (20), Arumugam (15), and Chrome Yellow and Senso Unico, both on 10 points.
- Champion Two-Year-Old Colt
Saturday’s Grade 2 World Sports Betting SA Nursery winner Lucky Lad has a firm grip on the initial Two-Year-Old colt log entering the first Grade 1 juvenile races of the season. He leads on 24 points from Cliff Hanger and Jerusalema Rain, both on 8 points, and Gimmeanotherchance and Outlaw King, both on 2 points.
- Champion Two-Year-Old Filly
Unbeaten Grade 2 World Sports Betting SA Fillies Nursery winner Mrs Geriatrix shares the top of the Two-Year-Old filly table with dual Grade 3 winner Winter Cloud on 16 points. They lead from Leaving Las Vegas and Red Hot Rose on 8 points, and Golden Tatjana on 6 points
Equus Awards 2023 – Points Tables to 1 May 2023
| Horse of the Year | Age | Sex | Pts |
| PUERTO MANZANO (ARG) | 5 | G | 98 |
| TRIP OF FORTUNE (SAF) | 4 | G | 87 |
| CHARLES DICKENS (SAF) | 3 | C | 80 |
| DESERT MIRACLE (SAF) | 4 | F | 78 |
| JET DARK (SAF) | 5 | H | 70 |
| GIMME A PRINCE (SAF) | 4 | G | 66 |
| MAKE IT SNAPPY (SAF) | 3 | F | 64 |
| Champion Three-Year-Old Male | Age | Sex | Pts |
| CHARLES DICKENS (SAF) | 3 | C | 80 |
| ANFIELDS ROCKET (SAF) | 3 | G | 52 |
| BILLY BOWLEGS (SAF) | 3 | C | 38 |
| COUSIN CASEY (SAF) | 3 | C | 36 |
| SEE IT AGAIN (SAF) | 3 | C | 32 |
| SON OF RAJ (SAF) | 3 | G | 32 |
| Champion Three-Year-Old Female | Age | Sex | Pts |
| MAKE IT SNAPPY (SAF) | 3 | F | 64 |
| FEATHER BOA (SAF) | 3 | F | 48 |
| BLESS MY STARS (SAF) | 3 | F | 42 |
| CIAO BELLA (SAF) | 3 | F | 32 |
| NONE OTHER (SAF) | 3 | F | 32 |
| Champion Older Male | Age | Sex | Pts |
| PUERTO MANZANO (ARG) | 5 | G | 98 |
| TRIP OF FORTUNE (SAF) | 4 | G | 87 |
| JET DARK (SAF) | 5 | H | 70 |
| GIMME A PRINCE (SAF) | 4 | G | 66 |
| ISIVUNGUVUNGU (SAF) | 4 | G | 50 |
| Champion Older Female | Age | Sex | Pts |
| DESERT MIRACLE (SAF) | 4 | F | 78 |
| PRINCESS CALLA (SAF) | 5 | M | 62 |
| UNDER YOUR SPELL (SAF) | 4 | F | 38 |
| CAPTAIN’S RANSOM (SAF) | 5 | M | 36 |
| RAIN IN HOLLAND (SAF) | 4 | F | 32 |
| Champion Sprinter | Age | Sex | Pts |
| GIMME A PRINCE (SAF) | 4 | G | 66 |
| PRINCESS CALLA (SAF) | 5 | M | 62 |
| ISIVUNGUVUNGU (SAF) | 4 | G | 50 |
| RIO QUERARI (SAF) | 6 | G | 28 |
| BEREAVE (SAF) | 5 | G | 26 |
| Champion Miler | Age | Sex | Pts |
| TRIP OF FORTUNE (SAF) | 4 | G | 82 |
| DESERT MIRACLE (SAF) | 4 | F | 72 |
| AL MUTHANA (AUS) | 5 | G | 48 |
| UNDER YOUR SPELL (SAF) | 4 | F | 38 |
| CHARLES DICKENS (SAF) | 3 | C | 24 |
| MK’S PRIDE (SAF) | 5 | H | 24 |
| Champion Middle Distance | Age | Sex | Pts |
| PUERTO MANZANO (ARG) | 5 | G | 90 |
| JET DARK (SAF) | 5 | H | 48 |
| MAKE IT SNAPPY (SAF) | 3 | F | 32 |
| RAIN IN HOLLAND (SAF) | 4 | F | 32 |
| NEXUS (SAF) | 7 | G | 32 |
| Champion Stayer | Age | Sex | Pts |
| SALVATOR MUNDI (SAF) | 5 | G | 23 |
| NEBRAAS (SAF) | 6 | G | 20 |
| ARUMUGAM (SAF) | 4 | G | 15 |
| CROME YELLOW (SAF) | 8 | G | 10 |
| SENSO UNICO (SAF) | 4 | G | 10 |
| Champion Two-Year-Old Male | Age | Sex | Pts |
| LUCKY LAD (SAF) | 2 | C | 24 |
| CLIFF HANGER (SAF) | 2 | C | 8 |
| JERUSALEMA RAIN (SAF) | 2 | G | 8 |
| GIMMEANOTHERCHANCE (SAF) | 2 | C | 2 |
| OUTLAW KING (SAF) | 2 | C | 2 |
| Champion Two-Year-Old Female | Age | Sex | Pts |
| MRS GERIATRIX (SAF) | 2 | F | 16 |
| WINTER CLOUD (SAF) | 2 | F | 16 |
| LEAVING LAS VEGAS (SAF) | 2 | F | 8 |
| RED HOT ROSE (SAF) | 2 | F | 8 |
| GOLDEN TATJANA (SAF) | 2 | F | 6 |
