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Typhoon Tracy Australian Racehorse of the Year

7th Sep 2010

Victorian racing’s glamour girl Typhoon Tracy was named the 2010 Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium on Sunday night.

The Peter Moody-trained mare, who enjoyed a stellar four-year-old season winning four Group 1 races across two states, was a runaway winner of the coveted title.

She polled 215 votes – 102 more than exported three-year-old sprinter Starspangledbanner who, under the conditions of the award, was judged on his Australian performances only.

The other finalists were Tatts Cox Plate hero So You Think (61 votes), AJC Derby winner Shoot Out (38) and Emirates Melbourne Cup champion Shocking (33).

The stars of the turf were recognised at the annual Australian Racehorse of the Year and Hall of Fame Awards presented by Sky Racing World, Tabcorp and Staging Connections.

The nation's champion two and three-year-olds, sprinter, middle distance performer, stayer and jumper were also announced, together with the premier Australian-bred international.

Along with her Racehorse of the Year title, Typhoon Tracy was the recipient of the Mittys Champion Middle Distance Performer Award for her efforts in races from 1401 metres to 2199 metres.

Despite falling short in the main award, the former connections of Starspangledbanner did not leave empty handed with the Irish-based speedster claiming two awards.

In the night's most hotly contested category, the boom colt took out the Inglis Bloodstock Champion Sprinter Award by just two votes over Typhoon Tracy 130 to 128, with popular Sydney mare Hot Danish narrowly behind on 121 votes.

Starspangledbanner had seven starts up to and including 1400 metres in Australia throughout the 2009-10 season for three wins headlined by the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield.

Whilst his two Group 1 UK victories did not count towards the Champion Sprinter Award, they did towards the IRT Champion Australian-Bred International Award which he won comfortably.

Open to Australian-bred horses trained outside the country, Starspangledbanner amassed 272 votes to eclipse Hong Kong superstar Sacred Kingdom (146) and Singapore's pin-up horse Rocket Man (97).

Hall of Fame Legend Bart Cummings featured as the trainer of the nation's premier three-year-olds with Crown Oaks winner Faint Perfume named New Zealand Bloodstock Champion 3YO Filly and So You Think crowned the Coolmore Australia Champion Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding.

Faint Perfume, a dual Group 1 winner, defeated star Sydney sprinter Melito 230 votes to 190, whilst So You Think got the nod over Starspangledbanner 187 votes to 157.

Cummings was honoured on the night as the Optus Business Champion Group 1 Trainer with seven victories throughout the 2009-10 season.

Nash Rawiller earlier took home the BPA Print Group Champion Group 1 Jockey trophy for the second consecutive season after winning nine races at the elite level.

The much sought after title of Yallambee Stud Champion Two-Year-Old went the way of Victorian filly Crystal Lily. The Golden Slipper star scored a dominant win for co-trainers Mat Ellerton and Simon Zahra with 272 votes – 172 more than Magic Millions winner Military Rose who finished second in the voting.

Not surprisingly, Shocking was named the New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing Champion Stayer. Mark Kavanagh's young gun started in 2200 metre or greater races on three occasions for wins in the Melbourne Cup and Group 3 Lexus Stakes and a placing in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes.

The title of Design Awards Champion Jumper went to Australian and Galleywood Hurdle winner Black And Bent, whilst Redoute's Choice was named Carrazzo Consulting CPAs Champion Sire with his progeny earning over $9 million on Australian racetracks during the season.

The voting breakdown for the finalists in the Australian Racehorse of the Year awards is;

SKY Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year

· 215 – Typhoon Tracy (Trainer – Peter Moody)

· 113 – Starspangledbanner (Trainer – Leon Corstens)

· 61 – So You Think (Trainer – Bart Cummings)

· 38 – Shoot Out (Trainer – John Wallace)

· 33 – Shocking (Trainer – Mark Kavanagh)

Yallambee Stud Champion 2YO

· 272 - Crystal Lily (Trainers – Mat Ellerton and Simon Zahra)

· 100 - Military Rose (Trainer – Gillian Heinrich)

· 86 - Star Witness (Trainer – Danny O'Brien)

· 72 - Pressday (Trainer – Chris Waller)

· 27 - Skilled (Trainer – Peter Snowden)

New Zealand Bloodstock Champion 3YO Filly

· 230 - Faint Perfume (Trainer – Bart Cummings)

· 190 - Melito (Trainer – Gerald Ryan)

· 69 - More Joyous (Trainer – Gai Waterhouse)

· 37 - Dariana (Trainer – Bart Cummings)

Coolmore Australia Champion 3YO Colt or Gelding

· 187 - So You Think (Trainer – Bart Cummings)

· 157 - Starspangledbanner (Trainer – Leon Corstens)

· 141 - Shoot Out (Trainer – John Wallace)

· 41 - Denman (Trainer – Peter Snowden)

· 22 - Monaco Consul (Trainer – Mike Moroney)

Inglis Bloodstock Champion Sprinter

· 130 - Starspangledbanner (Trainer – Leon Corstens)

· 128 - Typhoon Tracy (Trainer – Peter Moody)

· 121 - Hot Danish (Trainer – Les Bridge)

· 57 - Melito (Trainer – Gerald Ryan)

· 45 - All Silent (Trainer – Grahame Begg)

Mittys Champion Middle Distance Performer

· 201 - Typhoon Tracy (Trainer – Peter Moody)

· 146 - So You Think (Trainer – Bart Cummings)

· 88 - Rangirangdoo (Trainer – Chris Waller)

· 53 - Theseo (Trainer – Gai Waterhouse)

· 27 - Metal Bender (Trainer – Chris Waller)

New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing Champion Stayer

· 269 - Shocking (Trainer – Mark Kavanagh)

· 159 - Viewed (Trainer – Bart Cummings)

· 58 - Zipping (Trainer – Robert Hickmott)

· 41 - Jessicabeel (Trainer – John O'Shea)

· 30 - Littorio (Trainer – Nigel Blackiston)

Design Awards Champion Jumper

· 91 - Black And Bent (Trainer – Robert Smerdon)

· 46 - Pentiffic (Trainers – Fran Houlahan & Brian Johnston)

· 45 - Tarawera (Trainers – Fran Houlahan & Brian Johnston)

· 36 - Al Garhood (Trainer – Ciaron Maher)

IRT Champion Australian-Bred International

· 272 - Starspangledbanner (Trainer – Aidan O'Brien, Ireland)

· 146 - Sacred Kingdom (Trainer – Ricky Yiu, Hong Kong)

· 97 - Rocket Man (Trainer – Patrick Shaw, Singapore)

· 26 - Musir (Trainer – Mike De Kock, South Africa)

In addition to the Racehorse of the Year Awards, the night also saw triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva elevated to Legend status in the Hall of Fame, whilst seven new inductees were welcomed.

The racing icons inducted were jockeys William “Billy” Pyers and John Letts, trainers Harry Plant and Jim Atkins, administrator Henry Byron Moore and horses Sky High and Northerly.