2014 Equus Awards: Grandson Of Badger’s Drift Up For Nomination

Gr1 Champions Cup winner Futura, out of Badger’s Drift mare Scribblin’ Cat has been nominated for Equus Champion Three Year Old Colt/Gelding, as well as Champion Middle Distance Horse (1800-2200m).

After a controversial entry into the 2014 Vodacom Durban July, Futura showed his true class by making up a phenomenal amount of ground in the last 400m of the race to finish third. On Gold Cup day, he went onto take the Gr1 Beach Beauty Champions Cup by almost two lengths from King Of Pain and another KZN-bred, the talented No Worries, and in the process set a new course record.

Futura is owned by John Freeman, I W Longmore & W J C Mitchell and trained by Brett Crawford. The three year old has an impressive race record, with five wins and three places – including the Gr3 Cup Trial by a neck – Futura has yet to be out of the money.

Badger’s Drift has had success with the Gr1 Champions Cup before – his son Ivory Trail winning the race in 2009. Badger’s Drift is starting to make his mark as a broodmare sire, with his own sire being the formidable Badger Land who is also a top broodmare sire in his own right.

From just five runners as a broodmare sire, Badger’s Drift has a winners to runners ratio of an impressive 60% for the past racing season.

Badger’s Drift himself was the second highest priced yearling at National Sales in 1999, purchased for R500 000. He went on to be a very successful racehorse, winning 7 races including three Grade 1 races, and two legs of the Triple Crown. He proved himself to be a versatile racehorse, winning over distances from 1300 – 2450m and earning himself R1.8 million in stakes in the process. He set a new course record in The Classic Grade 1 over 1800m, and he went on to win races such as the SA Derby Grade 1 over 2450m, and the Daily News 2000 Grade 1 over 2000m.

Badger’s Drift currently stands at Wood-Moore Manor Stud in Mooi River.

A hearty congratulations must also be extended to KZN Breeder Bruce Nicholas of Hallmark Thoroughbreds for their nomination with Hallmark-bred In The Fast Lane, a brilliant dual Gr1 winning filly with a pure KZN pedigree. A daughter of Jet Master out of Northern Guest mare First Arrival, she also finished a fantastic fourth to Futura in the Vodacom Durban July.

She has been nominated for Equus Champion Three Year Old Filly.

Congratulations to all of the Equus Awards nominees.