Melody Belle (NZ) has become the ninth horse to win multiple New Zealand Horse of the Year titles after receiving the honour at the 2020 New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards, which were held as a virtual event on Sunday night.
The star mare, a four-time Group 1 winner last season, including the Hastings Triple Crown, was also acknowledged as the champion horse in both the sprinter-miler and middle-distance categories.
Star mare Melody Belle (NZ)
Five horses received votes for Horse of the Year, but Melody Belle was a runaway winner, receiving 90 per cent of the 60 votes cast.
She joins an elite list of New Zealand horses to win Horse of the Year more than once since it was first awarded in 1971.
Sunline (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}) took the title four times with Show Gate (NZ) (Gate Keeper {GB}), Rough Habit (NZ) (Roughcast {GB}), Xcellent (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), Mongolian Khan (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) the other dual winners.
Melody Belle's stablemate in the Jamie Richards' stable Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel) was a unanimous choice as Two-Year-Old of the Year, while Richards, who won a record 11 Group 1 races, including three in Australia, was the sole contender for Trainer of the Year and stable rider Opie Bosson named Jockey of the Year.
Cool Aza Beel (NZ) was a unanimous choice for Two-Year-Old of the Year
Bosson also won 11 Group 1 races, including five in Australia, and was the leading rider at the Sydney autumn carnival.
Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), who was unbeaten on home soil in his 2019/20 season, edged out Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) in the three-year-old category.
Meanwhile, veteran Palmerston North trainer Kevin Gray, who received the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Racing Award.
Gray, 83, still runs a successful stable and finished 12th on the NZ premiership last season and was the second leading trainer in the central districts in terms of wins.
He has won more than 1000 races and had Group 1 victories in both Australia and New Zealand and has also been a prominent owner, breeder and administrator.
Cambridge Stud's Brendan and Jo Lindsay were named Owners of the Year, with an array of stars in their colours including Probabeel, Vernazza (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}), Bavella (Snitzel), Not An Option (Not A Single Doubt) and Pretty To Sea (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) .
Julia-Rose Hayes won the media award, when claiming the prize for her work for Te Akau Racing, following in the footsteps of her mother, Karyn Fenton-Ellis, who won the same prize in 2012.
Jo and Brendan Lindsay of Cambridge Stud were named Owners of the Year
2020 NEW ZEALAND THOROUGHBRED HORSE OF THE YEAR AWARDS
New Zealand Horse of the Year: Melody Belle (54 votes).
Also: Catalyst (3), Probabeel (1), Te Akau Shark (1), Wise Men Say (1).
NZTR Award for Outstanding Contribution to Racing: Kevin Gray.
Champion Two-Year-Old: Cool Aza Beel (61).
Other finalists: Play That Song, Vernazza.
Champion Three-Year-Old: Catalyst (35).
Other finalists: Probabeel (16), Quick Thinker (3), Jennifer Eccles (2), Sherwood Forest (1), Travelling Light (1), Loire, Two Illicit.
Champion Sprinter-Miler (up to 1600m): Melody Belle (37).
Other finalists: Te Akau Shark (16), Bostonian (4), Avantage (3), Julius.
Champion Middle-Distance Horse (1601m-2200m): Melody Belle (57).
Other finalists: True Enough (4), Avantage (1).
Champion Stayer (2201m and further): The Chosen One (45).
Other finalists: Roger That (9), Platinum Invador (7).
Champion Jumper: It’s A Wonder (36).
Other finalists: Wise Men Say (13), Bad Boy Brown (12).
Trainer of the Year – sponsored by Dunstan: Jamie Richards (only finalist).
Jockey of the Year: Opie Bosson (49).
Other finalist: Lisa Allpress (11).
Jumps Jockey of the Year: Shaun Fannin (39).
Other finalists: Aaron Kuru (17), Shaun Phelan (5).
Owner of the Year: Brendan and Jo Lindsay (47).
Other finalists: Dick Karreman (7), Trelawney Thoroughbred (3), Joan Egan (1), JML Bloodstock (1), NZ Thoroughbred Holdings (1), Hermitage Thoroughbreds, Kevin Hickman, OTI Management, Sir Peter Vela.
Stablehand of the Year– sponsored by Majestic Horse Floats – Lisa Kennedy (employed by Kevin Myers).
Other finalists: Mette Mosebo (Te Akau Racing), Tracy Affleck (Ellis Winsloe).
NZTR Award for Contribution to Media, Digital & Content: Julia-Rose Hayes (Te Akau Racing).
Other finalists: Aidan Rodley, Jo Starr (NZ Horse Ambulance Trust) and Scott Freeman, Danny Hunter and Josie Murphy (Trackside).
Trainers’ Premiership: Jamie Richards.
Jockeys’ Premiership: Lisa Allpress.
Apprentice Jockeys’ Premiership: Kozzi Asano.
Owners premiership: Brendan & Jo Lindsay.
Newcomer to Training – sponsored by Gavelhouse.com: Chrissy Bambry.
