What the winners say
During the End of Season Gala 2013, which took place on Monday at the headquarters of the Polish Olympic Committee, we talked with the winners of the plans for next year. Here are their statements:
Andrzej Zielinski – Breeder of the Year
‘I secretly hope that next year may be for me, both as a breeder and co-owner, even better than the current one. For the 2014 season, we will register 14 horses, including 9 two-year-old horses: 8 of Ecosse and one of stallion Kandahar Run, which is still little known, because his offspring started for the first time last year in Germany. In my opinion, these are the best horses I have ever bred. The same group includes such horses as Pretor (brother of Prince of Ecosse), Paradise Island (sister of Patronus) and Peredicta (sister of Pillar). Perhaps, it’s not quite the thing to praise our horses, but I believe that all of next year’s two-year-olds are beautiful. I split them among the trainers as follows: I entrusted Maciej Janiowski with five horses, Wojciech Olkowski with two and Krzysztof Ziemiański with one of them. I gave the ninth (mare Dais) to my older daughter Ania, who will train the mare on her own under the patronage of Andrzej Walicki. From among older horses of our breeding, there is Pillar left, which resumes training in a day or two days. From among two-year-old horses, we still have Predator, winner of the race for the Neman Award, Dabby with one victory on her account, and Pantera and Baryton. As the latter two are concerned, the mare should be better. It is difficult to assume that she go in the footsteps of her brother Patronus, but she should be visible in the races for mares.’
Andrzej Zielinski – Trainer of the Year
‘There are currently more than 40 horses in my stable. There are seven older horses, including Patronus, Kundalini and Emperor Ajeez, which should compete for primacy in the major races. The latter, of course, after this year’s experience on distances up to 2 km. I have 18-19 next year’s three-year-olds, because there are still reshuffles in this age group. A mare purchased by Konstantin Zgara has recently came; she did not run at the age of 2 years. She makes a great impression. She was in one of the leading stables and cost a lot of money, as in our reality. Perhaps, along with Atlanta, Avrora and Greek Sphere, she will be counted among the top Derby age group. Back horses also seem to me very promising. First of all, I mean solid Kora and Medicina, which quite unhappily ran at the age of 2 (she lost starts) They both should be expected in races for mares. I have 21-22 two-year-olds, that is several fewer than last year. I have the feeling, of course mainly on the based of pedigrees for the time being, that young horses are not as strong as this year. Jockey Anton Turgaev starts working for me from 1 January.’
Jan Głowacki – awarded in the category of Breeder and Trainer.
‘Currently, in our training and breeding centre in Nowa Mała Wieś, near Leoncin, we have six riding young Arabians. They have promising pedigrees, so we hope that they will be successful on the track. We are going to register fewer older horses than last season. We hope most for the Derby winner Wares and Muzahim, which, we believe, will start in the Derby. Both of these horses are trained by my son Bartosz. I hope that successes he had at the beginning of his training career will be an incentive to endure in this difficult profession. I’m doing my best to raise my successor. When it comes to horses that were bred by me, I bind some hopes with Szatynka, daughter of Nougatin, and Sasanka of Fata, which will debut at the age of 4 years. Of course, as a breeder, I will be cheering for trained by Dorota Kałuba Westim, which sensationally performed at the age of three years.’
Szczepan Mazur – Rider of the Year
‘It was a very good season for me and I do not mind if I manage to repeat this performance. I’m going to continue to work with trainer Adam Wyrzyk, in whose place in Podbiel I spend the whole time. We have some cool promising horses. However, I plan to leave in January for three months to work in one of the stables in Qatar and return at the beginning of the next season. I hope to be able to complete all formalities. If happens otherwise, I have a backup plan in the form of yet another trip, but I do not want to jinx. In any case, I would like to make the most of time off from racing in Służewiec. Of course, if I went abroad, I would not be able to prepare for final exams, but you can always make up for it in the future.’
Michał Borkowski – awarded in the category: The best in the steeplechases and hurdle races
‘I am very pleased with this award. I have been a trainer for three years and not particularly specialized in steeplechase races, most of my horses race in flat races, but we were able to take advantage of Habana gift to make good effect. I think the most important news for her fans and admirers of obstacle races is that the mare remained in my training for the next season. I hope that she will perform no worse than before, and if she is in good shape, she is expected to start also in the Czech Republic. Next year I will train a total of about 25 riding horses, of which approximately one third are Arabians. I permanently work with Natalia Hendzel, who will ride on my horses in Wrocław. I also employ a talented rider Paweł Pałczyński.’
Wiesław Kałuża – awarded in the category of the Harness of the Year
‘I will be 70-years old in March, and my wonderful Nitisa Josselyn will be a 13-year-old mare. I would like to race one more season with her and gain the title in the Harness of the Year category once more. We starts preparations for the new season in mid-January, this time on my farm in Ochędzyn Nowy, near Wieruszów, in the Wieluń region. This year, Nitisa and Saga were prepared in Brzeniny during the winter because I was still weak after cancer illness. Currently, apart from Nitisa and Saga, having two won races on her account, I will prepare for the season the mare Barbie, which I bought from the Czechs last year. It looks promising, but she has not started yet, so we may pay dues in first starts. Apart from me, 18-year-old Dominika Ostrycharz rode on Nitis and her father Paweł on Saga. They both made their debut this year. Most of all I would like to thank the president Klimczak and director Bąkowski. Trotting races develop year by year mainly due to them.’
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