The Horse of the Year choice
The Complete Racing Guide combed the racetrack during the exercise period on Wednesday morning seeking the views of stakeholders, players in the sport, as to which horse they think will be crowned the Horse of the Year for 2017. Some of their views are published here.
Trainer Delroy Spencer: I believe that the Horse of the Year award should be given to the improving Bigdaddykool. Bigdaddykool and Seeking My Dream have both won five races each for the season, butBigdaddykool has won the more prestigious races, such as a Classic — St Leger and the Superstakes. He has also won the Harry Jackson and Governor’s Cup as a three-year-old which speaks volumes of his talented. I can remember when a two-year-old (Princess Popstar) who only won the three races in the Two-Year-Old Series and got the Horse of the Year, and so I think that Bigdaddykool can get it as well.
Trainer Bernard Vincent: It is unquestionable Seeking My Dream is the Horse of the Year. To become a champion, you have to knock down the champion and Bigddadykool never did that. Even though Bigdaddykool beat him in the Superstakes, Seeking My Dream knocked him over in the most vital race, the Diamond Mile. Seeking My Dream was the defending champion and he defended his title commandingly. If Bigdaddykool had won the Diamond Mile, then you could have a debate, but that didn’t happen and so Seeking My Dream is home and dry.
Jockey Ian Spence: Seeking My Dream is going to get the Horse of the Year again. He showed his class and talent in the Diamond Mile and the manner in which he did it says all. The race that he finished fifth in, the Gold Cup, he wasn’t himself, he wasn’t right, as I believe that the trainer drilled him too much for the race. He came back and showed everybody in the Diamond Mile that he is the champion. I am not taking anything away from Bigdaddykool, who won some good races throughout the season, but he doesn’t have the heart like Seeking My Dream.
Jockey Oneil Mullings: The 2016 Horse of the Year is going to be no other than Seeking My Dream. He has won all his races at the top level, the highest level, and the Diamond Mile victory sealed everything for him.Bigdaddykool is a very good horse who is improving. He won some good races, but his victories don’t compare to the wins of Seeking My Dream.
Trainer Patrick Fong: Wayne DaCosta’s Seeking My Dream is going to be Horse of the Year for the secondconsecutive time. To me, to be Horse of the Year you are supposed to compete against the best of the best, and I can remember when Princess Popstar was voted Horse of the Year and she didn’t compete against the cream of the crop. Seeking My Dream won all his races at the top and he won the key race of them all, the Diamond Mile. He did not just win by a neck or a head or half a length, he won by some margin.
Trainer Gary Subratie: I think that Bigdaddykool is going to get the Horse of the Year award. He is a very talented horse who is still on the improve and, basically, he has done everything that was asked of him.
Owner Michael Bernard: Seeking My Dream is Horse of the Year. I think that he is the best horse in the country at present. The way how he defeated Bigdaddykool in the Diamond Mile, who was carrying less weight, indicated that he is the best. Bigdaddykool has done fairly well, yes, but Seeking My Dream has proven that he can beat everybody andBigdaddykool did not, and so it is Seeking My Dream for me.
Assistant Trainer Kibbeisha Little: Well, I think that the Horse of the Year award will go to the Wayne DaCosta-trainedSeeking My Dream. He has won all his races in Grade One company and Bigdaddykool just only won the like two Grade One races (Superstakes and Harry Jackson). Seeking My Dream won the biggest race of them all, the Diamond Mile, in which he had Bigdaddykool some distance behind him.
Jockey Orlando Foster: To me, Bigdaddykool is the Horse of the Year. He won some good races such as the Governor’s Cup, St Leger, Superstakes and Harry Jackson. He has earned the most money for the season as well. Seeking My Dream capped off the season with victory in the Diamond Mile, but Bigdaddykool did enough to walk away with the crown.