Ascot Stud (Pty) Ltd’s resident sire Global View was the toast of South African racing on Thursday when his star son Dave The King was named South Africa’s Horse Of The Year for 2023-2024.
The brilliant Dave The King was also crowned Equus Champion Older Male at Thursday night’s ceremony, which took place at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Trained by Mike De Kock, Dave The King enjoyed a tremendous season in 2023-2024, with the son of Global View winning both the G1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge and G1 The HKJC Champions Cup.
Among the horses Dave The King beat last season were G1 winners Al Muthana, Cousin Casey, Main Defender, Sandringham Summit, See It Again and Snow Pilot.
Bred by Gary Player Stud (Pty) Ltd, Dave The King, who won his last three starts of the season in a row, also finished runner up in the G1 Wilgerbosdrift H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes last season.
Dave The King, who is out of the Jet Master mare Touche, has won six of 21 starts and the gelding has earned R4 425 050 in prize money.
His dual graded stakes winning sire Global View, South Africa’s Leading First Season Sire of 2019-2020, was responsible for 51 winners, of 76 races, in 2023-2024 when Global View runners earned more than R9.187 million in stakes.
A son of legendary stallion Galileo and from the family of another breed shaping sire in the form of Storm Bird, Global View has five lots on offer at the August Two Year Old Sale.