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On 16 December the racing gala, during which the postseason results of elections in 2013 were announced, took place in the Olympic Centre in Warsaw. Jury composed of the President of the Polish Jockey Club Feliks Klimczak, director of the track in Warsaw Włodzimierz Bąkowski and director of the track in Wrocław Jerzy Sawka elected the nominees and winners in each category:

Category: Horse of the Year
Nominations
Patronus
The stallion gave grounds for optimism already during the first start of the new season. Although, it was only the race of Group II, the winning style with strong rivals made an impression. Doubts in the minds of his fans appeared after the next two performances – fourth place in the race for the Iranda Award and third place in the Memorial of Jerzy Jednaszewski. It was not what we expected. As a result, it was Pillar that started in the Derby as a strong favourite, while from among highly bet horses there were mentioned Kundalini and Hurricane of Seven, and not Patronus. However, Patronus won a blue ribbon unthreatened, well ahead of Kundalini and Pillar. In the St. Leger he finished as second after Camerun, but in the 100th Great Warsaw Race he reached the finish line first again, beating his stablemate Kundalini with a neck and Suo with more than 4 lengths.
Camerun
After a difficult winter, in the first half of May, the pupil trained by Marek Nowakowski has not yet reached a high form and, therefore, he was only fifth in the race for the Golejewko Award on an unfavourable to him distance of 2,000 m. However, he won the Widzów Award (2,400 m) without problems four weeks later, and then as surely triumphed in the race for the Award of the President of the Totalizator (2,600 m). On 21 July he started in Berlin on distance of 1,800 m, which was too short for him. He was the seventh in a very strong race, held in a non-listed Służewiec time 1’47.2, but lost to the winner only 4.5 lengths. As it turned out, experience gained in Berlin had a positive effect on his form. After four weeks, he won the St. Leger (2,800 m) for the second time in his career, confidently ahead of Patronus, which was carrying 6 kg less. Unfortunately, he failed to win the Great Warsaw Race for the second time. He was unable to present an effective finish and took the sixth place.
Kundalini
Trainer Andrzej Walicki already stated before the season that this unimpressive mare might be the best on the track. She started slowly from victory in Group II, but then simply flew straight on a soft track in the main trial for mares before the Derby, i.e. the race for the Solina Award. She was beaten only by Patronus in the Derby. When she easily won the Oaks a month later, it seemed that her career would consist exclusively of the first and second places. Meanwhile, quite unexpectedly in the running for the Krasne Stud Farm Award, she did not accelerate on the straight line, and was only six. She revived in the Great Warsaw Race, where again she raced to the same winning post after Patronus, which was escaping from the half of the last straight.

Patronus appointed Horse of the Year 2013.

Category: Owner of the Year
Nominations
Konstantin Zgara
Ukrainian owner of riding horses has became well known in our little racing world when he first bought Intens, Derby winner from 2011, and next year three leading mares, including Natalie of Budysin, Derby and Oaks winner. This year Zgar had his horses bought in the U.S., Western Europe and Poland trained by the Polish trainers. His greatest successes as the owner of the horses competing in Służewiec in the 2013 season were victories of Patronus in the Derby and the Great Warsaw Race, Atlata in the race for the Award of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and mare Greek Sphere in the race for the Efforta Award.
Zygmunt Sobolewski
This great lover of races, veterinarian by profession, owner of BHT Animal Trade Co. waited 11 years for his next great triumphs on the track. The first horse that brought him success in 2001 was Kombinacha, the winner of Derby, St. Leger and Great Warsaw Race. He was her co-owner, along with trainer Bolesław Mazurek. He was lucky again when he bought Camerun, son of the famous Singspiel, on his own on the auction in Ireland four years ago. Initially, nothing indicated that this would be a high-class horse. He was not registered to the Derby, but later he developed wings, as already mentioned. Mr. Zygmunt plans to leave Camerun for next season. The competition of his pupil with Patronus looks promising.
Kishore Mirpuri
Irish horses of his and his co-owner Zbigniew Górski set the tone for Służewiec races. After last season, both men gained a joined title in the category Owner of the Year. This time they had only one good Irish thoroughbred Emperor Ajeez, which won the Awards of Strzegom and Ruler Stakes, and was second in races for the Award of Kozienice, Moszna and Criterium. The mare of the season Kundalini, whose successes we have already presented, gained the most scores for Mirpuri.

The Owner of the Year 2013 was elected Konstantin Zgara.

Category: Breeder of the Year
Nominations

Andrzej Zieliński

Compared to last season, when he had only one representative strong candidate for the winter Derby, i.e. Pillar (Ecosse-Palixodia/Linamix), this time a few horses gained scores for the account of Andrzej Zieliński, owner of Pegasus Stud Farm in Nowa Werona, near Nasielsk. Revelation of the season was Patronus (Ecosse-Princes of Java / Java Gold), winner of the Derby and the Great Warsaw Race, sold by Zieliński at the beginning of this year to the Ukrainian Konstantin Zgara. Pillar was also the leading three-year-old horse  (second in the Ruler Stakes, first in the race for the Iwno Award and third in the Derby and St. Leger). Among the two-year old horses, especially Predator (brother of Pillar), winner of the Trial and Neman Award, proved to be good. In total, in the 2013 season horses bred by Andrzej Zieliński won seven races, including three outside-group races.
Kishore Mirpuri
This is the second this year’s nomination of this extraordinary lover of racing, Hindu living in Poland for over 20 years, popularly called “Kisior”. He is not only one of the most involved in the development of Polish racing owners, but also a novice breeder. In this respect, the 2013 season was also very good for him. We have already presented successful Kundalini. Apart from her, three more hoses of his breeding took part in the races: three-year-old Daremi was a group race winner and two-year-old Charbinger won the Trial Award.

Jan Głowacki

In the 2013 season, all outside-group awards for full-blooded Arabian horses, entered to the Polish Arabian Stud Book (PASB) were won by private breeders. Unquestionable primacy gained Jan Głowacki, owner of the family stud farm in Nowa Mała Wieś near Kampinos. Bred by him Wares dominated the competition for four-year-old  and older horses (winning the Award of Derby, Michałów and Comparative). In contrast, Westim, half-brother of Waresa, was undefeated in his age group. He won four races, including the outside-group race for the Bask Award and Sambora Award, and he is a strong favourite for the Derby in 2014.

The Breeder of the Year was chosen Andrzej Zieliński.

Category: Trainer of the Year
Nominations

Andrzej Walicki

It was one of the best seasons in a 44-year training career of Andrzej Walicki. His horses have successively won the races with prestigious awards for three-year-old horses: Strzegom and Ruler Stakes (Emperor Ajeez), Solina (Kundalini), Derby (Patronus) and Oaks (Kundalini); then for three-year-old and older horses: Vistula River (Wild Lady) and the Great Warsaw Race (Patronus). Moreover, two-year-old horses ran very well, winning the awards of: Dorpat (Avrora), Effort (Greek Sphere) and Dakota and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (Atlant). As a curiosity, let us add that Andrzej Walicki in his rich career triumphed three times after the victory of the three-year-old horse in the Derby and Great Warsaw Race. First, after the victory of Daglezja in 1971, then 20 years later after the victory of Kliwia and this year after the success of Patronus.

Maciej Janikowski

Janikowski celebrated spectacular successes in the first half of the season. First, Lucky Peter easily won the Golejewko Award, and then after a great victory in the race for the Iwno Awar, Pillar became called a safe bet in the Derby. Unfortunately, due to the infection, he was not in his top form for the most important race and took third place. During the St. Leger, in which he took also a third place, Pillar suffered an injury which meant that he could no longer start that year. Lucky Peter, which was second in the race for the Award of the President of the Totalisator, took a little advantage of this calamity, winning awards of Kozienice and Korabia. However, he was only fifth in the Great Warsaw Race. On the last day of the season, an important selection Neman Award for two-year-olds was won by Predator, trained by Janikowski, and perhaps he will achieve what his brother Pillar did not manage, that is to win the Derby.

The Trainer of the Year 2013 was chosen Andrzej Walicki.

Category: Rider of the Year
Nominations

Szczepan Mazur

Best Rider of 2012 (he won the following races: Ruler Stakes on Hard work, and Derby and Oaks on Natalie of Budysin), he showed the lion’s claw also this season. He became the first jockey in the history of Służewiec who obtained the title (one has to win 100 races) at the age of just 18 years. We should add that he won the hundredth race on 17 August on Belmondica trained by Adam Wyrzyk, and then he won 37 times more. He gained the Title of Champion in 2013 decisively, having 76 wins on his account. By a strange twist of fate, he rode on Patronus in the Great Warsaw Race, instead of the famous British jockey Kieren Fallon, and won it in a great style.

Piotr Piątkowski

When Aleksander Reznikov left for the USA after the Great Warsaw Race, the main and only one rival to the title of the Rider of the Year 2013 was Piotr Piątkowski, who won on Camerun the awards of: Widzów, President of the Totalisator and St. Leger, and the Derby on Patronus. Moreover, he was the first one on the sprint Inheritor in the race for the Jaroszówka Award and the second on Impact in the Arabian race for the Europe Award. Piątkowski finished seventh in the championship with 23 wins.

The Rider of the Year 2013 was chosen Szczepan Mazur.

Category: Outstanding breeder and trainer of riding horses

Distinction was granted to

Jan Głowacki,

owner of the breeding and training centre in Nowa Mała Wieś for breeding Wares, winner of the Derby, Michałów Award and Comparative Award, and the best undefeated three-year-old Westim, winner of four races, including Sambora (Cat. A), and for the preparation of Wielka Damira to win the Oaks, Wielki Damati to win the races for the Kabaret and Figaro Awards, and also Wilga Fata to win the races for the Sabellina Award during the Arabian Day.

Category: The best in the steeplechases and hurdle races. Nominations

Michał Borkowski,
trainer of Hebana, bred and owned by the Golejewko Stud Farm, which won the most important in Poland Lotto Great Wrocław Hurdle Race.
Couple of Katarzyna and Janusz Kozłowscy
Like last year, they won the most awards (six) in hurdle races. Leading Light won three races, Nick of the Star won two races and Jutrzenka won one.

Rumen Panczew
again proved to be the best rider in the hurdle races. He won six races on horses owned by the Kozłowski Family.

The award was granted to Michał Borkowski.

Category: harness of the year
Nominations
Nitisa Josselyn – Wiesław Kałuża

Phenomenal 12-year-old mare ran on an equal and pretty high level another season in a row. She won eight times in 16 starts on the Polish tracks this year. She was usually driven by trainer Wiesław Kałuża, who led her to five wins and two second places. As an interesting fact, let us add that this harness is in total… 81 years old. Congratulations to Mr. Wiesław on his excellent health at the age of 69 years.

Usita and Roman Mateusiak

A five-year old Usita, brought to Poland before the 2013 season, won in 15 starts, together with her trainer and, at the same time, driver in six races. She triumphed as soon as in her first performance in Służewiec. Later, she had a crisis, which lasted until mid-August, and since that time she has been virtually insurmountable.

Harnerss of the Year 2013. Nitisa Josselyn and Wiesław Kałuża.

Category: Revelation of the Year – Best Young Rider
An award is presented to senior apprentice

Błażej Giedyk

for progress in driving and courageous fight with experienced riders, in particular for the victory in the race for the Criterium Award on Kalahari Dream.

Category: Event of the Year
Nominations
Wrocław Racetrack

Long time has passed since the last so abundant in racing events season in Wrocław. In 2013 Partynice became a professional racetrack. Races of half-blooded horses were excluded. They focused on real race horses – thoroughbreds. Partynice organised this year three flat races of Category A and highly subsidies races: Great Wrocław (steeplechase) – with the sum of PLN 175,000 and Great Partynice (hurdles) – PLN 105,000. Therefore, the Czechs, and even Germans came with their horses to the capital of Lower Silesia. In addition, the success of Golejewko-bred Habana, trained by Michał Borkowski proved to our neighbours that the Polish horses are still important in hurdle races. Wrocław Lotto Gala held on 7-8 September was seen by several thousand spectators.

Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club race

During an autumn Gala in Służewiec, there was a race held on the track with a distance of 8,200 m, which has been the longest in the Warsaw track history. Four-year-old and older Arabians took part in the race. The race was sponsored by Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club (QREC), whose manager Sami Jassim al-Boenian personally decorated the winners. He also announced an increase in engagement in Służewiec and organization of the Qatar Day already next season. Cooperation with this organization is a great opportunity for thoroughbred racing in Poland.

Race on the track in Buczkowo

This season, on the Kraków Racetrack in Buczkowo, there were three races held with the participation of horses from Służewiec and Partynice: 31 May, 15 August, and Małopolska Horses Promotion Day – 29  September. This is the first in the history private track in Małopolska, on which official races are held.

The highlight of the year 2013 was the new racing opening in the Wrocław Racetrack in Partynice.

Honourable mention

Handing over of the Hippodrome in Sopot after its renovation: mention for racing infrastructure investments.
Awards and prizes were handed out by the President of the Totalizator Wojciech Szpil, board member of the Totalizator Barbara Sisons, director of the Totalizator Konrad Komarczuk, president of PKWK Feliks Klimczak, MP Michał Szczerba, director of Włodzimierz Bąkowski, director of Jerzy Sawka and chairman of the PKWK Board Andrzej Wójtowicz.
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