News

Australian Racehorse of the Year category finalists

17th Aug 2010

The category finalists for the 2010 Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards presented by Sky Racing World were released today with a familiar name prominent throughout.

Master horseman Bart Cummings features as the trainer of four individual finalists in Dariana, Faint Perfume, So You Think and the ill-fated Viewed.

Dariana and Faint Perfume are vying for the title of New Zealand Bloodstock Champion 3YO Filly, Viewed features amongst the finalists for the New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing Champion Stayer Award, whilst So You Think is a finalist in both the Champion 3YO Colt / Gelding and Mittys Champion Middle Distance Performer categories.

Along with So You Think, three other horses have been named as finalists in multiple categories. They are Melito (Champion 3YO Filly and Inglis Bloodstock Champion Sprinter), Typhoon Tracy (Champion Sprinter and Champion Middle Distance Performer) and Starspangledbanner.

Starspangledbanner features as a finalist in a season-high three categories, that being Champion 3YO Colt / Gelding, Champion Sprinter and IRT Champion Australian-bred International, the latter for his deeds in the UK under the tutelage of Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien.

In addition to Cummings, premier Sydney trainers Chris Waller, Gai Waterhouse and Peter Snowden are the other conditioners with multiple horses amongst the category finalists. Waller has three individual finalists, whilst Waterhouse and Snowden have two apiece.

The Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards are voted on by senior racing administrators from all Australian principal racing authorities and metropolitan racing clubs, along with members of the Australian Racing Writers Association.

Following the collation of their votes, based on performances on the 2009-10 racing season (1 August – 31 July), the top vote getters in each category have been announced as the finalists.

The award winners will be unveiled at the Australian Racehorse of the Year and Hall Of Fame Awards ceremony presented by Sky Racing World, Tabcorp and Staging Connections on Sunday night, 5 September at Melbourne's Crown Palladium.

The category finalists, in alphabetical order, are as follows;

Yallambee Stud Champion 2YO Finalists
· Crystal Lily (Trainers – Mat Ellerton and Simon Zahra)
· Military Rose (Trainer – Gillian Heinrich)
· Pressday (Trainer – Chris Waller)
· Skilled (Trainer – Peter Snowden)
· Star Witness (Trainer – Danny O'Brien)

New Zealand Bloodstock Champion 3YO Filly Finalists
· Dariana (Trainer – Bart Cummings)
· Faint Perfume (Trainer – Bart Cummings)
· Melito (Trainer – Gerald Ryan)
· More Joyous (Trainer – Gai Waterhouse)

Champion 3YO Colt / Gelding Finalists
· Denman (Trainer – Peter Snowden)
· Monaco Consul (Trainer – Mike Moroney)
· Shoot Out (Trainer – John Wallace)
· So You Think (Trainer – Bart Cummings)
· Starspangledbanner (Trainer – Leon Corstens)

Inglis Bloodstock Champion Sprinter Finalists
· All Silent (Trainer – Grahame Begg)
· Hot Danish (Trainer – Les Bridge)
· Melito (Trainer – Gerald Ryan)
· Starspangledbanner (Trainer – Leon Corstens)
· Typhoon Tracy (Trainer – Peter Moody)

Mittys Champion Middle Distance Performer Finalists
· Metal Bender (Trainer – Chris Waller)
· Rangirangdoo (Trainer – Chris Waller)
· So You Think (Trainer – Bart Cummings)
· Theseo (Trainer – Gai Waterhouse)
· Typhoon Tracy (Trainer – Peter Moody)

New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing Champion Stayer Finalists
· Jessicabeel (Trainer – John O'Shea)
· Littorio (Trainer – Nigel Blackiston)
· Shocking (Trainer – Mark Kavanagh)
· Viewed (Trainer – Bart Cummings)
· Zipping (Trainer – Robert Hickmott)

IRT Champion Australian-Bred International Finalists
· Musir (Sire – Redoute's Choice. Trainer – Mike De Kock, South Africa)
· Rocket Man (Sire – Viscount. Trainer – Patrick Shaw, Singapore)
· Sacred Kingdom (Sire – Encosta De Lago. Trainer – Ricky Yiu, Hong Kong)
· Starspangledbanner (Sire – Choisir. Trainer – Aidan O'Brien, Ireland)

(The IRT Champion Australian-bred International of the Year is based on performances by Australian-bred horses which are trained by a trainer licensed outside of Australia)

Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year

Each category finalist, excluding those vying for the title of Champion Australian-bred International, is eligible for the title of Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year which will be presented on 5 September also.

Under the conditions of the awards, Starspangledbanner has been judged on his Australian performances only for the Australian racehorse categories.

His UK performances count exclusively towards the title of Champion Australian-bred International as the horse was officially trained outside Australia during his international campaign.

Notes

Voting for the Australian Racehorse category awards is based on performances during the racing season (1 August – 31 July) in Australia and international performances by Australian trained horses.

An Australian trained horse is defined as a horse trained by a trainer licensed in Australia and who has a permanent training base in any state or territory of Australia.

The Champion Sprinter Award is based only on performances of horses in races of up to and including 1400 metres.

The Champion Middle Distance Award is based only on performances of horses in races between 1401 metres and 2199 metres.

The Champion Stayer Award is based only on performances of horses in races of 2200 metres and longer.