Gold Circle
David Thiselton
Isivunguvungu was one of only three horses who can be considered a hundred percent local to win an award at the KZN Racing Awards on Friday night and trainer Peter Muscutt revealed he has Hong Kong ambitions with him.
The horse award winners at the ceremony were the Glen Kotzen-trained Rascova (Champion Two-year-old Filly), the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Outlaw King (Champion Two-year-old Male), the Darryl Moore-trained Canadian Summer (Champion Three-year-old Filly), the Michael Roberts-trained See It Again (Champion Three-year-old Male and Champion Middle Distance Horse), the Peter Muscutt-trained Isivunguvungu (Champion Sprinter), the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Runaway Song (Champion Stayer) and the Sean Tarry-trained Princess Calla (Champion Horse Of The Season).
Capetonian pair Kotzen and Kannemeyer count as KZN trainers for the awards, because they have had satellite yards here for many years and all of their award winners had three or more runs in KZN last season.
The Hollywood Syndicate-owned Isivunguvungu has been having a deserved holiday on the farm and will be back in training tomorrow (Tuesday).
Muscutt said the ultimate target for the dual Grade 1-winning What A Winter gelding would be the Hong Kong Sprint, a Gr 1 weight for age event with prize money this December of HK$26 million (R63,2 million).
Muscutt is thus eagerly awaiting further good news about equine exports from South Africa after a recent breakthrough in which the EU audit done on African Horse Sickness (AHS) control last year received a positive report.
However, such is the historical slowness with which changes become effective in this realm, it seems unlikely he will be able to make it to this year's Hong Kong Sprint, which takes place every December over 1200m at Sha Tin.
The next big Hong Kong target for him might be the HK$22 million Gr 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize in April and even being able to get there through direct travel is not a certainty.
"Direct travel" will require a quarantine period at the Kenilworth Quarantine station followed by direct travel to Europe and then, importantly, being treated like a European horse upon arrival. This will cut travel time to a place like Hong Kong by months and will be kinder to the horses too.
Isivunguvungu gave Hollywood Syndicate a fine ending to the season when adding the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint to his Gr 1 Computaform Sprint. His Mercury Sprint win proved he is effective over 1200m.
That win saw the Hollywood Syndicate edge ahead of Drakenstein Stud in what, unbeknown to anybody except the two protagonists, was a thrilling duel for the KZN Champion Owners title.
However, Drakenstein fought back through a fifth place finish in the Gr 1 HKJC World Pool Champions Cup and they then clinched it when Distant Winter finished third in the Gr 1 Douglas Whyte Stakes.
Drakenstein finished a mere R90,000 ahead of Hollywood in the owners' standings.
The other human awards at the KZN Racing Awards went to Garth Puller (Champion Trainer), Keagan de Melo (Champion Jockey), Rachel Venniker (Champion Apprentice) and Jo Lungile (Groom of the Horse Of The Season Princess Calla).
The annual Anita Akal Award went to the long serving Gold Circle CEO Michel Nairac.
The KZN Racing Personality Of The Year award went to Summerveld trainer Wendy Whitehead.
A great lover of animals, Wendy brings both dogs and cats to her Summerveld place of work everyday and is known for her friendly demeanour. She also had a personal best season last term with 51 wins.
In one of the most emotion charged moments of the evening Daniel Cuiane, groom of the David Nieuwenhuizen-trained Sandringham Summit, received a R100,000 cheque because his horse's win in the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes was chosen as the HKJC World Pool moment of the day.
Returning to the export situation, Des Gonsalves, racing manager for owner Mario Ferreira, also spoke of overseas ambitions for Princess Calla if direct travel becomes a reality.
Charles Dickens' trainer Candice Bass-Robinson is another who has spoken of overseas ambitions.
It is exciting times for SA racing.
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