Live Oak Plantation’s World Approval, the 2017 Ricoh Woodbine Mile winner trained by Mark Casse, was named Champion Male Turf Horse at the 47th Annual Eclipse Awards at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida on Thursday evening while Gun Runner took home Horse of the Year honours.

The Eclipse Awards, honouring excellence in North American Thoroughbred racing, presented by The Stronach Group, Daily Racing Form and the Breeders’ Cup, are voted on by the NTRA, Daily Racing Form (DRF) and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB).

Owned and bred in Ocala, Florida by Live Oak’s Charlotte Weber, World Approval closed out a $2 million season in 2017 with three consecutive victories in Grade 1 stakes, including the Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga, the Ricoh Woodbine Mile at Woodbine and Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar — the latter two with jockey John Velazquez aboard.

World Approval also earned back-to-back stakes wins in the EG Vodka Turf Classic at Tampa Bay and Grade 2 Longines Dixie Stakes at Pimlico early in his six-race, five-year-old campaign. The striking Northern Afleet-Win Approval gelding is a half-brother to Live Oak’s Miesque’s Approval, who was named Champion Grass Horse in 2006.

Miesque’s Approval stands at Scott Bros, and produced the likes of Gr2 winners Judicial and J’s Outsider, as well as Gr1 Vodacom July placed Eton Square amongst others.

The first Leg of four of the inaugural KZN Breeders “Level The Playing Field Series” saw 21 horses line up at Scottsville yesterday over two pools, with Yellow Star-bred Putchini taking the first pool of the day from a strong field for owner Ashley De Klerk and stakes money of R100 000.

With the jockeys drawn out of a hat for the rides in each of the pools and accumulating points according to finish order, Billy Jacobson brought the chestnut Bezrin gelding home over 1200m by a nose from Bankable gelding, Reactive. Cipher (Overlord) and Poivre (Silvano) placed third and fourth respectively.

Putchini has won five times and placed 15, earning over R350 000 in stakes. The son of Bezrin is out of Suki Tortri by Centenary and the damline belongs to the incredibly speedy Golden Loom, as well as Majestic Light and Byblos.

The second pool of the day saw Glen Kotzen’s Mogok filly Royal Agree, bred by Scott Bros, brought home swiftly under Athandiwe Mgudlwa. Owned by Mr PG De Beyer, the filly out of Royal Promise by Royal Academy secured her second career win under the care of Lunga Gila, who is managing the Kotzen yard in KZN.

Royal Agree is a 2015 KZN Yearling Sale graduate, who sold for R160 000. She is a full sister to Mogok’s Desire, a 4-time winner and Gr3 placed. This is the damline of British-born former South African sire Icelandic, as well as New Zealand champion 2yo and 3yo colt and sire – Our Maizcay. A Crusade half-sister is on offer as Lot 144 at the upcoming National Yearling Sale, consigned by Scott Bros.

Royal Agree beat home multiple winners Brave And Bold and Fire The Rocket clear by over a length, over the 1200m turf trip. The “Level The Playing Fields” Series takes place over turf with trainers only able to enter one horse for all four legs and jockey for each race drawn out of a hat.

The horse must have the ability to win from 1200m – 1600m. The Final for a stake of R200 000 will run on 25 June at Greyville on turf over 1400m, with the winning jockey, owner, breeder and trainer each taking home R50 000. The second leg of the series takes place on 30 April over 1400m at Scottsville.

Keep an eye out for the logs to come of the leading horses and jockeys of the series – and exciting series indeed!

A Gallery below from both pools of the “Level The Playing Fields” Series.