While the members of the appointed Equus judging panel, comprising Graeme Hawkins, Nico Kritsiotis, Rouvaun Smit, Deez Dayanand and Vicki Minott, have the final say when it comes to deciding the Equus Champions in each category, both the list of nominees and their final decisions are largely informed by the Equus Logs.
Unsurprisingly, this Season’s triple Grade 1-winning Eight On Eighteen holds a commanding lead in both the Three-Year-Old Male category as well as the race for the prestigious Horse Of The Year title. Eight On Eighteen has accumulated 140 points while his nearest challenger in both these divisions, One Stripe (96 points), has been exported to further his racing career in the USA.
Fatal Flaw holds the lead in the Three-Year-Old Filly category ahead of Fiery Pegasus and Spumante Dolce, and the forthcoming Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes (Gr1) could be the race that decides the outcome. In the Champion Older Male category Gimme A Prince (75 points) enjoys a very slender lead over Oriental Charm (72 points) but there are a number of races, not least of which the Hollywoodbets Durban July (Gr1) and Mercury Sprint (Gr1), that will have a huge impact on what the points tally in this category might finally look like by the end of July.
Mia Moo (56 points) leads Double Grand Slam (46 points) and Asiye Phambili (44 points) in the chase for the Champion Older Female, while Good For You and Direct Hit head the respective Champion Two-Year-Old Male and Champion Two-Year-Old Fillies divisions. Gimme A Prince currently leads the pack for Champion Sprinter honours, with Cosmic Speed, Eight On Eighteen and Holding Thumbs ahead in the Champion Miler, Champion Middle Distance and Stayers’ categories.
Herewith the Equus Awards’ logs as at 10 June 2025:
HORSE OF THE YEAR
Eight On Eighteen:140
One Stripe: 96
Fire Attack: 76
Gimme A Prince: 75
Oriental Charm: 72
THREE-YEAR-OLD MALE
Eight On Eighteen: 140
One Stripe: 96
Fire Attack: 76
Cosmic Speed: 70
THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY
Fatal Flaw: 72
Fiery Pegasus: 60
Spumante Dolce: 56
TWO-YEAR-OLD MALE
Good For You: 36
Charming Cheetah: 20
TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY
Direct Hit: 40
Green Diamond: 24
One Fine Winter: 24
Elegantrix: 24
OLDER MALE
Gimme A Prince: 75
Oriental Charm: 72
William Robertson: 50
Dave The King: 48
Atticus Finch: 44
OLDER FEMALE
Mia Moo: 56
Double Grand Slam: 48
Asiye Phambili: 44
Rascova: 40
CHAMPION SPRINTER
Gimme A Prince: 60
Mia Moo: 56
William Robertson: 50
CHAMPION MILER
Cosmic Speed: 64
Oriental Charm: 48
One Stripe: 48
Dave The King: 48
Gladatorian: 44
CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE
Eight On Eighteen: 48
Fire Attack: 48
Atticus Finch: 44
CHAMPION STAYER
Holding Thumbs: 15
Mucho Dinero: 12
Love Is A Rose:10
King Pelles: 8
My Soul Mate: 8
