Captain’s Ransom keeps females in spotlight with horse-of-the-year award

With the country celebrating National Women’s Day earlier this month, it was appropriate that the filly Captain’s Ransom was named 2022 Equus horse of the year at racing’s Oscars on Wednesday night.

For the first time, the public were invited to vote and the Racehorse Owners Association, which staged the event at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park,  revealed that 1,329 votes had been received.

Trained by Justin Snaith, Captain’s Ransom won six of her seven races last season, the only blot on her copybook being the defeat by She’s A Keeper in the grade 1 Garden Province Stakes.

This may have resulted in some racing fans believing the award could go to Sparkling Water or the filly’s stablemate, Jet Dark.

Sparkling Water, the selection of Business Day, routed her rivals in the Hollywoodbets Durban July with a three lengths win. She comfortably beat Jet Dark on that occasion.

Nevertheless, Jet Dark enjoyed an outstanding campaign. This resulted in another Snaith inmate being named Champion Miler, Champion Older Colt and Champion Middle Distance horse.

There was some consolation for trainer Mike de Kock and Wilgerbosdrift Stud with Sparkling Water receiving the vote from the panel as Champion Stayer.

De Kock will be pleased that his three-year-old, Safe Passage, won the category of “Champion Three Year Old Colt”. It would not have taken the voting panel too long to decide on the winner, given his wins in the Daily News 2000, Dingaans, Gauteng Guineas as well as his third in the Durban July.

While Sean Tarry had the blow of losing his chief patron, Chris van Niekerk, at the start of the campaign, he wasn’t trophyless on Equus night with his talented three-year-old, Rain In Holland, being named Champion Three Year Old Filly.

The two-year-old categories were also pretty straight forward with Cousin Casey — so impressive at Greyville on July day — capturing the award for Champion Two Year Old Colt and Canadian Summer voted Champion Two Year Old Filly.

Statistics govern the human awards for the season, and Paul Peter was named Champion Trainer, Warren Kennedy Champion Jockey, Rachel Venniker Champion Apprentice and Drakenstein Stud (nominee Ms GA Rupert) were Champion Owner.

• UK trainer Mark Johnstone celebrated the 5,000th winner of his career when his runner Dubai Mile comfortably won the first race at Kempton Park on Wednesday night.

Based at Middleham in North Yorkshire, Johnstone now shares his licence with his son, Charlie.

Born in Glasgow in 1959, Johnstone began his career in Lincolnshire where he set up his first yard with his wife, Deidre.

A qualified vet, he won the 2000 Guineas with Mister Baileys (1994) and the 1000 Guineas with Attraction (2004).

Johnstone seems to have a special talent with stayers and he has won the Ascot Gold Cup four times with Royal Rebel (twice), Double Trigger and Subjectivist (2021).