Calla Named Horse Of The Year
Sean's charges stole the show at Wednesday night's Equus Awards ceremony, which took place at the Senate Room at Emperors Palace. Not only was star mare Princess Calla honoured as South Africa's Horse Of The Year for the 2022-2023 season (she was also named Equus Champion Older Female), the Tarry trained runners Mrs Geriatrix, Bless My Stars and Future Pearl all walked off with Equus Award honours.
Unbeaten filly Mrs Geriatrix, whose five wins from five starts last season included both the G1 Allan Robertson Championship and G2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper, was crowned Equus Champion 2YO Filly, while her stablemate, and G1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic winner of 2023, Bless My Stars was named South Africa's Champion 3YO Filly for 2022-2023.
Star stayer Future Pearl, who won all of the G3 WSB Gold Bowl, G3 DStv Gold Vase and G3 World Pool Gold Cup last season, was a deserving winner of the Champion Stayer title, with his breeder Drakenstein Stud crowned both South Africa's Champion Breeder and Outstanding Breeder of the 2022-2023 season.
However, star of the show was outstanding racemare Princess Calla. A second South African Horse Of The Year for breeder Maine Chance Farms, the Mario Ferreira owned daughter of Flower Alley won six graded stakes, from 1000m to 1800m, in 2022-2023, with the star mare ending her season reeling off a hatrick of G1 victories. Princess Calla began her three G1 winning streak by thrashing top-class filly Desert Miracle to land the G1 South African Fillies Sprint, before again downing Desert Miracle in the G1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes. She ended her campaign on an even higher note, however, when Princess Calla beat some outstanding male rivals in the G1 HKJC Champions Cup to confirm herself as a true champion.