Equus Awards tonight

Well done to all the connections

Champion 2 year colt
MUSIR

Champion 2 year filly
LAVERNA

Champion 3year old colt
BIG CITY LIFE

Champion 3 year Filly
LADY WINDERMERE

Champion older male
POCKET POWER

Champion Older filly/ mare
DANCERS DAUGHTER

Champion sprinter
REBEL KING

Champion middle distance horse
POCKET POWER

Champion stayer
MOKARO

Special Equus Outstanding Achievement Award
DOUGLAS WHYTE

Outstanding Stallion Achievement Award
CAPTAIN AL, KLAWERVLEI STUD

Broodmare Of The Year
TRADE ENQUIRY

Champion Breeder
SUMMERHILL STUD

Breeder of the Year
MAURITZFONTEIN STUD

Champion Jockey
ANDREW FORTUNE

Champion Trainer
CHARLES LAIRD


Champion Apprentice
DERECK DAVID

Work riders of the year
ALFRED NZONGO (Cape); JACKSON FENI (Gauteng)

Media Award
DAVID MOLLETT

Champion Stallion
JET MASTER

Owner/s Of The Year
INGRID AND MARKUS JOOSTE

Horse Of The Year
POCKET POWER

From the RA website....

POCKET Power won an unprecedented third consecutive Horse of the Year title at the 2008/09 Equus Awards, which honour outstanding performances in South African horse racing.

At an emotional ceremony at Emperors Palace, there were standing ovations for Andrew Fortune, who overcame drug addiction and weight problems to become Champion Jockey, and Bridget Oppenheimer, the doyenne of South African racing who was honoured for her Champion Stayer, Mokaro, and for the achievements of her Mauritzfontein Stud.

Veteran racing writer and presenter David Mollet won the inaugural Journalist of the Year prize.

In his award acceptance speech, Pocket Power’s part-owner Arthur Webber announced that the seven-year-old gelding would not travel to Dubai for a tilt at the World Cup next year, as many racing fans had expected.

Webber said trainer Mike Bass had decided to race the horse in Cape Town in the coming feature season – making a bid to win both the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and the J&B Met for fourth consecutive times.

I am glad for Molly but Charl Pretorius must have been right behind.

Why do the Joostes get owner of the year again????????
Is this award pure sums?

Maybe you right . But Joostes then got it year before. How they decide it?

Ja you on the button.
Should've given it to a guy like Raymond Deacon (BCL).
Came back into game after many years and risked wife and limb to do what he loves. Now he is smiling and a real hero. What about the chap that bought Spring Clover too?
They are far more realistic role models than the Joostes for potential new owners

should have been only one winner last year and the same again this year..MR SHIRTLIFF..an absolute disgrace he has never won it.

Good point Pirates. Marsh was only ever ack'd in W Cape.
Sad really

Well done to PP. He's definitely the best there is and quite possibly the best there ever was. There was not much more that BCL could have done other than win the Cape Guineas, but hopefully his future is far from over and he'll be able to thrill us with many more victories.

One award I was a bit surprised about was that of Champion 2 year old colt. From 3 starts, Musir recorded 2 victories - a maiden and his emphatic Gr1 (Golden Horseshoe) win on July day. His other start was 2nd in a non listed feature race.

Villandry had 6 starts during the season recording 4 wins - a maiden, a Listed race on Met day, a Gr3 (Godolphin Barb Stakes) and a G1 (Gold Medallion). His other two starts were 4th in a maiden and 4th in a Gr2 (Umkhomazi Stakes).

Surely Villandry's black type victories (a Listed, Gr3 and G1) would be more deserving than Musir's single G1 victory?

Sly won`t be happy re Jet Master..

Congratulations to the connections of all the winners!!


Big thanks to Possum for the pictures...



Connections of J J THE JET PLANE



LUCKY AND NATALIE HOUDALAKIS



HENNIE DU PREEZ AND MAGDA



Thea Booyens & Fred



Coenie Strydom and Tracy Lange aka Possum

Cheers possum, pics look great and so do you.

Thanks Scotia.....!!