Sean Tarry and S’manga Khumalo were officially crowned Champion Trainer and Jockey respectively with the season coming to an end on Sunday.
Tarry notched a record 209 wins for the season to retain his title and Khumalo 242 for his second, his first coming two years back in 2013. Tarry was key to Khumalo’s success on both occasions and the pair rounded off their season in fitting manner with Hyaku winning the last race at Greyville on Sunday night.
Both Tarry and Khumalo were well clear of their rivals going into the final month of the season and will have been airing their tuxedoes for the Equus Awards weeks ago.
Justin Snaith finished runner-up in the trainer’s championship with 191 winners with Mike Bass – never crowned National Champion – in third place as he heads into retirement.
Tarry’s runners earned nearly R28 million in stakes, R9 million more than Snaith.
Mike de Kock finished top of the KZN log followed by Gavin van Zyl, Dennis Drier and Duncan Howells.
Bass was champion Western Cape trainer ahead of Snaith while Tarry finished nearly R10 million ahead of second-placed Mike Azzie in the Highveld championship.
The apprentice title proved a lot closer with Lyle Hewitson making heavy inroads into Callan Murry’s lead in the seven months that Hewitson became a licensed apprentice.
Hewitson, who cut his teeth in the work riders ranks finishing champion last season, was in hot demand from trainers who quickly picked up on his talent and used his 4kg claim to their benefit, including Tarry.
Hewitson lost his claim in record time but was still five winners shy of Murray’s 78 winners for the season.
Ingrid and Markus Jooste were once again crowned Champion Owners but it was a close run thing with Adriaan and Rika van Vuuren only R800k behind with Chris van Niekerk in third.
The race for the Champion Stallion title was also a close-run race with the Drakenstein-based Trippi (Ends Sweep) edging out former champion Silvano (Lomitas) on the last day of the season.
Trippi started Sunday’s Group Gold Cup meeting about R800,000 ahead of Silvano but Marinaresco’s win in the R1 million Gr1 Mike and Carol Bass Championship had Trippi’s connections on tenterhooks. Had Nightingale managed to win the Gr2 Gold Bracelet, Silvano would have snatched the title on the line. Second place however, was not enough and Silvano fell just short at the final hurdle.
Super sire Captain Al (Al Mufti) once again finished Champion Two-year-old sire ahead of Var (Forest Wildcat) while Gimmethegreenlight (More Than Ready), third on the two-year-old list, was crowned Champion Freshman Sire.
The Varsfontein-based Gimmethegreenlight rounded off his season in fine style with Hack Green winning the Gr2 Umkomazi Stakes for Dennis Drier to give his sire his first Graded Stakes winner but the Paul Gadsby-trained Gunner went one better two races later winning the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes.
Summerhill Stud, who relinquished their Champion Breeders title to Klawervlei two seasons ago after a run of nine straight titles, came back to pip their rivals this term to earn their tenth championship. Again it was a close run thing with Summerhill finishing R600k ahead of their rivals. Third on the Breeder’s log was Lammerskraal with a phenomenal 58.6% winners to runners
The Equus Awards will take place at Emperor’s Palace in Johannesburg on Tuesday, August 16.
Andrew Harrison
