IGUGU (photo) was named Horse Of The Season at the Racing Association’s Highveld Feature Seasons Awards on Saturday night.

The Mike de Kock-trained filly was a worthy winner of the accolade after becoming the first filly in history to win the SA Triple Tiara, which comprises the Gauteng Fillies Guineas over 1600m, the SA Fillies Classic over 1800m and the SA Oaks over 2450m.

She won by a landslide with every member of the panel of judges, comprising Nicci Garner, Jack Milner, Lennon Maharaj, Germaine Maharaj, Shaheen Shaw, Patrick Davis and Darryl Maree, giving her the nod. The equine awards were adjudicated by the panel, while the winners of the champion breeder, apprentice, jockey and trainer awards were calculated on a point system according to graded and listed races won. The champion owner was decided on stakes earned in feature races during the season.

Igugu also won the award as Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, while her trainer Mike de Kock was named Champion Trainer and his stable also collected Ilsanpietro’s Champion Stayer award.

One other horse collected two awards, and that was Horse Chestnut Stakes and Empress Club Stakes winner Dancewiththedevil, who took the awards as Champion Older Horse and Champion Middle Distance Horse. She was bred and is owned and trained by St John Gray.

The winners of the 2011 Highveld Feature Seasons Awards:

CHAMPION TWO YEAR OLD FILLY

Hidden Beauty – Trainer Paul Matchett – Owner Fred Crabbia

CHAMPION TWO YEAR OLD COLT/GELDING

Delago Deluxe – Trainer Charles Laird – Owners Ingrid and Markus Jooste

CHAMPION THREE YEAR OLD FILLY

Igugu – Trainer Mike de Kock – Owners Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and Andre & Joyce Macdonald

CHAMPION THREE YEAR OLD COLT/GELDING

English Garden – Trainer Mike Bass – Owner Lady Lilford

CHAMPION OLDER HORSE

Dancewiththedevil – Trainer St John Gray – Owner St John Gray

CHAMPION SPRINTER

Val De Ra – Trainer Dennis Drier – Owner Avontuur Estate (Pty) Ltd (Nom: Mr B A I Taberer)

CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE HORSE

Dancewiththedevil – Trainer St John Gray – Owner St John Gray

CHAMPION STAYER

Ilsanpietro – Trainer Mike de Kock – Owner Fazenda Mondesir International (Nom: P C P de Castro)

CHAMPION SAND SPECIALIST

Iron Curtain – Trainer Robbie Sage – Owner Bridget Oppenheimer

HORSE OF THE SEASON

Igugu – Trainer Mike de Kock – Owners Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and CHAMPION APPRENTICE

J P van der Merwe

CHAMPION JOCKEY

A Delpech

CHAMPION TRAINER

M de Kock

CHAMPION BREEDER

Summerhill Stud (Pty) Limited

CHAMPION OWNER

Ingrid and Markus Jooste