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Picture : Groom of Sandringham Summit Daniel Cuiane recieved a cheque for R100,000 at the KZN Racing Awards on Friday evening at Hollywoodbets Greyville as his horse was chosen as the winner of the HKJC World Pool Moment Of The Day (Candiese Lenferna Photograhy).

The horse award winners at the KZN Racing Awards ceremony held in the Classic Room at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Friday evening were the Glen Kotzen-trained Rascova (Champion Two-year-old Filly), the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Outlaw King (Champion Two-year-old Male), the Darryl Moore-trained Canadian Summer (Champion Three-year-old filly), the Michael Roberts-trained See It Again (Champion Three-year-old male and Champion Middle Distance Horse), the Peter Muscutt-trained Isivunguvungu (Champion Sprinter), the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Runaway Song (Champion Stayer) and the Sean Tarry-trained Princess Calla (Champion Horse Of The Season). 

This caused some confusion because most consider Kotzen and Kannemeyer to be out of province trainers and there were arguably horses from other out of province yards who had performed better than Rascova, Outlaw King and Runaway Song the SA Champions Season.
 
In actual fact the Capetonian pair Kotzen and Kannemeyer count as KZN trainers for the awards because they have had satellite yards in KZN for many years.
 
However, in order to qualify for an award, any of their horses has to have had at least three runs in KZN during the season. 
 
All Of Rascova, Outlaw King and Runaway Song had three or more runs in KZN last term.
 
The closest fought human award was the KZN Owners Championship and the MC for the night, Graeme Hawkins, revealed it had gone right down to the wire.
 
Isivunguvungu’s win in the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint saw the Hollywood edge ahead of Drakenstein Stud in what, unbeknown to anybody except the two protagonists, was a thrilling duel for the KZN Champion Owners title. 
 
However, Drakenstein fought back through a fifth place finish in the Gr 1 HKJC World Pool Champions Cup and they then clinched it in the penultimate race of the season when Distant Winter finished third in the Gr 1 Douglas Whyte Stakes.
 
Drakenstein finished a mere R90,000 ahead of Hollywood in the owners’ standings.
 
The other human awards at the KZN Racing Awards went to Garth Puller (Champion trainer), Keagan de Melo (Champion Jockey), Rachel Venniker (Champion Apprentice) and Jo Lungile (groom of the Horse Of The Season Princess Calla).
 
The annual Anita Akal Award went to the long serving Gold Circle CEO Michel Nairac.
 
The KZN Racing Personality Of The Year award went to Summerveld trainer Wendy Whitehead.
 
In one of the most emotion charged moments of the evening Daniel Cuiane, groom of the David Nieuwenhuizen-trained Sandringham Summit, received a R100,000 cheque because his horse’s win in the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes was chosen as the HKJC World Pool moment of the day.
 
Daniel described it as a “life-changing” happening.