Drakenstein Stud, South Africa’s Champion Breeders, Champion Owner, and Outstanding Breeders of 2022-2023, had a magnificent night on Wednesday when their resident stallions dominated the Equus Awards ceremony held at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.
The farm’s veteran champion stallion Trippi was crowned South Africa’s Equus Outstanding Stallion for 2022-2023, with the son of End Sweep responsible for nine black type winners last season, when his offspring earned R14 394 738 in stakes for the season.
His flagbearers included such G1 winners as Charles Dickens, Jet Dark, Trip Of Fortune and Winchester Mansion, as well as the likes of Pacaya, October Morn, and Santa Maria. Trippi is also the sire of the exciting Hluhluwe, who was beaten just a short-head when second in the G3 World Sports Betting Langerman at the end of last season.
Trippi, whose champion son Jet Dark is set to stand his first season at Drakenstein in 2023, also made his presence felt at the Equus Awards on Wednesday night. His offspring picked up four Equus Awards on Wednesday, with Charles Dickens crowned Champion Three-Year-Old Male and Champion Miler, Trip Of Fortune named Champion Older Male and G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July hero Winchester Mansion named Equus Champion Middle Distance Horse.
His stablemate What A Winter also had a wonderful season in 2022-2023 and What A Winter’s son Isivunguvungu, one of six stakes winners for his sire last season, was named South Africa’s Equus Champion Sprinter of 2022-2023 on Wednesday.
Destined for a possible Hong Kong campaign, Isivunguvungu reeled off a hatrick of wins to end his 2022-2023 campaign and won both the G1 Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint and G1 Mercury Sprint.
Futura, himself a former Horse Of The Year and multiple Equus Champion, also made his mark on Wednesday night when his Drakenstein-bred son Future Pearl was crowned Equus Champion Stayer. The gelding dominated South Africa’s major staying races last season, with Future Pearl winning all of the G3 WSB Gold Bowl, G3 DStv Gold Vase and G3 World Pool Gold Cup last season.
Drakenstein picked yet another award when their wonderful broodmare Demanding Lady was crowned Equus Broodmare Of The Year for 2022-2023. The G2 Ipi Tombe Challenge-winning daughter of Dynasty and dam of G1 Gbets Cape Derby runner-up Charles made her mark this season through the deeds of her champion son Charles Dickens as well as Listed Hollywoodbets Settlers Trophy winner Somerset Maugham. The brilliant Charles Dickens, who is yet to finish out of the first two, won six of eight starts in 2022-2023 including the G1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas and G1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge.
Original article by Cape Breeders Club