British-bred National Hunt stars shine bright at annual awards ceremony
Simon Sweeting and his Overbury Stud team were the big winners at the TBA’s National Hunt Awards Evening, which celebrated the successes of the past 2019-20 season. The live awards ceremony, which was hosted by Nick Luck, was held virtually in place of the annual National Hunt Breeders’ Celebration Dinner. In total 14 awards were presented.
Kayf Tara has dominated the British National Hunt stallion scene in recent times and the recently retired son of Sadler’s Wells once again scooped both stallion statistical awards. The Horse & Hound Cup (Leading active NH British-based Stallion, 2019-2020 individual chase winners) was won for the sixth consecutive time and eighth in total, and the Whitbread Silver Salver (Leading active NH British-based Stallion, 2019-2020 earnings) was won for the tenth time.
Not only do Overbury stand Kayf Tara, they were also rewarded as breeders of Thyme Hill, who scooped the accolade for Leading Novice Hurdler (Mickley Stud Trophy). A son of Kayf Tara, his three wins in the season included the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury last December.
Super mare Honeysuckle won all four starts to remain unbeaten in all eight starts to date under Rules and her breeder, Dr Geoffrey Guy, was the recipient of the Leading Hurdler Mare Award (Yorton Trophy). Her exploits on the track, which included capturing a trio of Grade 1s, ensured that her dam First Royal won the Dudgeon Cup for NH Broodmare of the Year.
The ever popular Lady Buttons, who was bred by Keith and Jayne Sivills, landed the Leading Chaser Mare (Distillery Stud Trophy) for the third year in a row, while David and Kathleen Holmes, breeders received the Shade Oak Stud Trophy for Midnights’ Gift, who was crowned Leading Novice Hurdling Mare. The fourth prize for mares was the first trophy awarded on the evening, the Midnight Legend Trophy, given to the Leading NH Flat Mare. The winner was the Downfield Cottage Stud-bred Legends Ryde, appropriately a daughter of the former Pitchall Stud resident.
Recipient in the past for Leading Novice Hurdler and Leading Novice Chaser, Santini provided his breeders Richard and Lizzie Kelvin-Hughes with a third title, this time in the Leading Chaser category, which was sponsored by Highflyer Bloodstock.
Another to bring up the treble for his breeder was Ballyandy. Bred by Jeremy Hinds’s Pleasure Palace Racing, the son of Kayf Tara was given the honour of Leading Hurdler and the Overbury Stud Trophy.
The Leading Novice Chaser category, for which the winner received the Peel Bloodstock Trophy, was taken by Copperhead (Sulamani), who was bred by Jane Micklethwait, along with her late husband Richard. While the Batsford Stud Trophy, given to the Leading NH Flat Horse, was won by Peter Phillips, who bred the unbeaten Black Sam Bellamy gelding Red Rookie.
A pair of special recognition awards were also presented. The first, the Eric Gillie Ltd Trophy, was given to Roy Smith, breeder of Unowhatimeanharry. The son of Sir Harry Lewis had missed out on winning at these awards in past years, but newly into the 2019/2020 season gained his fourth top-level win with a second victory in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.
The final award of the evening was the Queen Mother’s Silver Salver, which was presented to Peter and Emma Hockenhull. The duo have been long-standing members of the National Hunt fraternity and stood a bastion of the British National Hunt breeding game in Alflora, whom they bet their farm on his success.
TBA Chief Executive Claire Sheppard said: “A key event within the jump breeding community, it was a sign of the times that this year’s awards evening was to be staged virtually. However, it has been a fabulous evening with last season’s finest being showcased and rewarded and I would like to congratulate all nominees and winners.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the TBA’s NH Committee, Nick Luck and all of our sponsors for their vital ongoing support.”
Awards & Winners
Highflyer Bloodstock Trophy for Leading Chaser
Santini – Mr & Mrs Richard Kelvin-Hughes
Distillery Stud Trophy for Leading Chaser Mare
Lady Buttons – Keith Sivills
Peel Bloodstock Trophy for Leading Novice Chaser
Copperhead – Jane Micklethwait
Overbury Stud Trophy for Leading Hurdler
Ballyandy – Pleasure Palace Racing
Yorton Trophy for Leading Hurdler Mare
Honeysuckle – Dr G W Guy
Mickley Stud Trophy for Leading Novice Hurdler
Thyme Hill – Overbury Stallions Ltd
Shade Oak Stud Trophy for Leading Novice Hurdler Mare
Midnights’ Gift – Pitchall Stud
Batsford Stud Trophy for Leading NHF Horse
Red Rookie – R P Phillips
Midnight Legend Trophy for Leading NHF Mare
Legends Ryde – Downfield Cottage Stud
Eric Gillie Trophy - Special Achievement Award
Unowhatimeanharry – Roy Smith
Dudgeon Cup - NH Broodmare of the Year
First Royal – Dr G W Guy
Horse & Hound Cup - Leading active British-based stallion by individual chase winners in GB & Ire in 2019-20
Kayf Tara
Whitbread Silver Salver - Leading active British-based sire by prize money in GB & Ire in 2019-20
Kayf Tara
Queen Mother’s Silver Salver - NH Special Achievement Award
Peter & Emma Hockenhull