Karaka Graduates Shine in Singapore Awards

The 2016 Singapore Racing Awards, held at Fullerton Hotel on Tuesday night, featured an outstanding haul for Karaka graduates including five awards for the superstar Debt Collector (NZ) (Thorn Park).

The Cliff Brown-trained Debt Collector won Champion Three-Year-Old, Champion Miler, Most Improved Horse, Social Media Horse of the Year and the most coveted award of all, Horse of the Year.

Purchased at the 2014 Select Sale for $30,000 and the Ready to Run Sale for $120,000, Debt Collector has won seven of his 10 starts and more than S$1.5 million in stakes. His victories in 2016 included scintillating performances in the Sgp-1 Singapore Guineas, Kranji Mile and Raffles Cup.

A half-sister to Debt Collector, by Shamexpress, will be sold as Lot 356 at the 2017 Premier Sale.

While Debt Collector was the headline act, he was far from the only Karaka graduate honoured on Tuesday night.

Well Done (NZ) (Falkirk) was voted Champion Four-Year-Old. The David Kok-trained runner, who was passed in at the 2013 Select Sale and sold for $90,000 at the Ready to Run Sale, triumphed in the Singapore Derby. He also ran second to Debt Collector in the Kranji Mile.

Lim’s Racer (NZ) (Red Giant), who was passed in at the 2015 Festival Sale, took the award for Champion Two-Year-Old. Trained by Stephen Burridge, the filly won two races in 2016 including the Sgp-2 Golden Horseshoe.

Lot 798 in the 2017 Select Sale, a filly by Reliable Man, is a half-sister to Lim’s Racer.

The Stephen Gray-trained Bahana (NZ) (Elusive City) was named Champion Stayer after winning the Sgp-1 Singapore Gold Cup and the Sgp-3 El Dorado Classic. Bahana was sold for $80,000 at the 2013 Select Sale and $100,000 at the Ready to Run Sale, and his half-brother by Showcasing will be sold as Lot 779 at the 2017 Select Sale.

Rounding out the massive nine out of eleven possible racehorse award haul was New Zealand-bred Spalato (NZ) (Elusive City) who was crowned Champion Polytrack horse.