Champions Crowned at NZ Horse of the Year

The New Zealand racing fraternity gathered last night to crown the champions of the 2013/14 racing season at the Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards with Karaka graduates Vespa (NZ) (Elusive City) and Puccini (NZ) (Encosta de Lago) both honoured.

Vespa (NZ) was crowned Champion Two-Year-Old.

Group 1 Diamond Stakes winner Vespa was a unanimous winner of the Champion Two-Year-Old award winning four of his six starts as a juvenile including New Zealand’s richest race – the New Zealand Bloodstock $1m Karaka Million.

Trained in Otaki by Johno Benner and owned by Chris Norwood & Chris Rutten, Vespa was purchased by the group under the name Cavallo Agistment Centre for $34,000 at the Karaka Select Sale from Kevin Hickman’s Valachi Downs. The Elusive City colt earned just under $700,000 in his first season of racing.

The Champion Three-Year-Old title went the way of Group 1 New Zealand Derby winner Puccini. As well as winning New Zealand’s premier three-year-old race, the Peter and Jacob McKay trained colt won the Group 2 Great Northern Guineas, Group 2 Waikato Guineas and Group 2 Avondale Guineas in a productive season.

Raced by Paul and Cushla Smithies of Monovale Holdings, Puccini has lived up to his breeding being by champion sire Encosta de Lago and out of stakes winning mare Miss Opera (Paris Opera), the dam of six-time Group 1 winner Sir Slick (Volksraad).

The New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year was also crowned at the awards evening with the connections of Costa Viva (Encosta de Lago) claiming the coveted title. The Te Akau Racing filly narrowly captured the title in a competitive year for the three-year-old fillies, finishing with 20.5 points – just 1.5 points ahead of Miss Selby (NZ) (O’Reilly).

The win by Costa Viva in the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas was the filly’s highlight victory in the season as she amassed points throughout the Series with placings in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes, Group 2 Eight Carat Classic and Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes.

The star of the evening was Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral) who was crowned New Zealand Horse of the Year on the back of a stellar season that reaped two Group 1 wins against the best Australia had to offer. He edged out Silent Achiever (NZ) (O’Reilly), who also had a great season beating the best in Australia, for the top prize.

For the second year running O’Reilly swept all three stallion awards after another fantastic season in New Zealand and abroad, producing three Group 1 winners.

2014 NZTR Horse of the Year Winners