TBA National Hunt Stallion Statistical Awards for 2020-21
With Kayf Tara having been retired from duties last summer, it meant that there would be new names on both the Whitbread Silver Salver and the Horse and Hound Cup for nine and six years respectively.
Whitbread Silver Salver – Nathaniel
Given to the leading active British-based stallion by earnings achieved in Britain and Ireland, this year’s recipient is Newsells Park Stud-based Nathaniel. Sire of the brilliant Enable, Lockinge Stakes runner-up Lady Bowthorpe and promising French Group 2 scoring colt Bubble Gift, the son of Galileo is equally capable of supplying quality horses that have gone on to flourish over obstacles.
A Cheltenham Festival winner in 2020, Concertista started her new campaign with a pair of comfortable victories, proving that she stayed beyond the minimum distance. A Group 2 win at Fairyhouse was followed by an easier win in Grade 3 company at Leopardstown over Christmas. Victory in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle was only lost in the final strides.
Navajo Pass won the Grade 2 Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock Park, while Zanahiyr was a Grade 2-winning juvenile hurdler.
It was not all about hurdles. Kitty’s Light showed precocious talent over fences. Having started his chase run off an official mark of 109 last August, he ended the season rated 142. Four wins over fences, he was mightily unlucky not to end the season a Grade 3 winner. Having suffered interference in the season ending highlight, the bet365 Gold Cup, he was placed second. This was not the first time he had been unlucky, for he had been hampered at a crucial time in the Listed Badger Ales Chase last November.
Horse & Hound Cup – Schiaparelli
While the stallion might be different, the destination of the Horse & Hound Cup remains the same, Overbury Stud. Awarded to the leading active British-based stallion by individual chase winners in Britain and Ireland, the 2020-21 title holder is Schiaparelli.
The chesnut son of Monsun was represented on the track by the likes of multiple winners Benevolentdictator and Numitor, as well as the winner Tea Time On Mars, who was narrowly denied his biggest day to date by a neck in February’s Devon National.
Schiaparelli’s biggest winner of the season in terms of prize money over fences was his admirable son Whatmore. Restricted to just a pair of starts in the 2020-21 campaign, he was runner-up in the Grade 3 Sodexho Gold Cup on the final day in October and then filled the same position a month later behind a rejuvenated Yorkhill in the Listed Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle.
Statistics provided by www.nhstallions.co.uk