Futura and Captain of All vie for top gong
DOES the Equus voting panel have a surprise in store at tonight’s racing Oscars at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park? Some pundits feel they could select top sprinter, Captain Of All, ahead of Futura in the “Horse-of-the-Year” category.
According to Karel Miedema, one of the country’s top experts and editor of Sporting Post, it’s an unlikely scenario.
“Knowing the panellists as I do, I don’t see them looking beyond Futura. In any case, Futura has one more grade 1 winner than The Captain and in their minds that’s a clincher,” said Miedema yesterday.
His view is likely to be spot-on but it may come down to whether the panel felt Dennis Drier’s sprinter was so impressive towards the end of the season that they considered his performances better than Futura, who finished fourth in the Vodacom Durban July.
Considering he was burdened with 60kg on his back, Futura’s July effort was rated a fine effort by many experts and his supporters can point to excellent wins in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, J&B Met and Champions Cup.
What is interesting is that if Futura gets the nod, he will be the third Horse-of-the-Year for his sire, Dynasty, following the successes of Irish Flame and Legislate.
It could be a memorable night for Futura’s owners as they are likely to walk off with two trophies — both “Horse-of-the-Year” and “Older Horse Male”.
Apart from Captain Of All, possible rivals in this category could be Highveld “Horse-ofthe-Season” Wylie Hall, July winner Power King and Legislate.
It’s going to be a big night for champion trainer Sean Tarry, who scored a landslide win in the trainers championship with stakes earnings of R25.9m — R6m more than Mike de Kock.
Speaking to punters, many feel De Kock didn’t have a great season, yet the figures tell a different story. His stakes tally of R19.5m is R6m more than his 2013-14 total of R13.1m. The many-times South African champion trainer will fancy his chances of taking the “Three-Year-Old-Filly” award with Alboran Sea. Her Computaform Sprint and Cape Fly- ing Championship should tip the scales.
Tarry should see one of his star three yearolds, Legal Eagle or French Navy, take the “Champion Three Year-Old Colt” award. The only other horse of that age group that the panel will look at is Grand Parade Cape Guineas winner, Act Of War.
Many racing fans were no doubt hoping Act Of War would make it a Dynasty threesome by taking on Futura and Legislate in the Champions Cup, but he remained at home.
The panel faces an unenviable task in deciding on the winner in the “Older Female” category but perhaps Mike Bass’s charge, Hammie’s Hooker, will take this award.
Bass is another trainer who enjoyed a successful season — his stakes tally of R12.1m far exceeded his 2013-14 total of R9.6m.
A total of 321 two-year-olds will come under the hammer on Thursday and Friday at the annual National Two Year Old Sale at Germiston.
It is regarded as a sale where buyers can pick up bargains — although it has produced its fair share of top-class performers, including JJ The Jet Plane, The Apache, River Jetez and Jackson.