Toronto, Ont. (Dec. 14/07) – Bob Cheema and K.K. Sangara put Hastings Racecourse in the national thoroughbred racing spotlight Friday night at the 33rd Annual Sovereign Awards ceremonies hosted by The Jockey Club of Canada.
Sangara’s brilliant Financingavailable won both the Champion Female Turf and Champion Sprinter awards while Cheema-owned True Metropolitan was named Champion Older Male and Dancing Allstar was saluted as Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.
“It’s wonderful news,” said Raj Mutti, Director of Operations at Hastings. “Mr. Cheema and Mr. Sangara have been tremendous supporters of racing in British Columbia. Winning these prestigious awards can only encourage other owners at Hastings Racecourse to strive for the same level of success.”
Financingavailable, last year’s champion older female in Canada, won five of seven Woodbine starts in 2007 and finished second twice, earning in excess of $450,000.
True Metropolitan is also a repeat Sovereign winner after being named the top handicap horse in Canada last year. The classy 5-year-old gelding trained by Terry Jordan enjoyed a banner 2007 with seven victories in 10 starts, including stakes wins at Hastings in the Sir Winston Churchill and George Royal. He also won the Dominion Day at Woodbine and Speed to Spare at Northlands.
Dancing Allstar, purchased by Cheema out of last year’s CTHS sale for $15,500, earned more than $300,000 in 2007 with five wins in seven starts, including the Fantasy, Sadie Diamond and Sales Stakes.
The 2008 Hastings Racecourse 68-card season launches on Saturday, April 26.
For further information contact Raj Mutti – 604 – 251-0445
