New Zealand Horse of the Year Awards
At the 2024 New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year awards on Sunday, female racehorses stole the spotlight, with Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) being crowned Horse of the Year. She also won the sprinter-miler category, while other categories such as champion 2-year-old (Velocious), 3-year-old and stayer (Orchestral), and middle-distance runner (Legarto) were claimed by fillies and mares, marking the first time in over two decades that females have dominated the awards.
Imperatriz | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Imperatriz’s impressive season included six victories, five of which were at Group 1-level, making her the most prolific Group 1 winner in Australasia. Her trainers, Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, were named Trainers of the Year, while her owners, Denise Bassett and John Elstob, took home the Owner of the Year title.
The awards also honored Peter and Dawn Williams for their lifetime contribution to racing, recognising their notable achievements throughout their training careers.
Other Award winners:
Champion Jumper – West Coast
Jockey of the Year – Warren Kennedy
Jumps Jockey of the Year – Portia Matthews
Newcomer to Training – Sam Mynott.
NZ Stablehand of the Year – Joanne Pearson, employed by Lisa Latta, Awapuni
Award for Contribution to Media, Digital and Content - Trackside Premier
South Australian awards night
Jockey Jake Toeroek claimed his first John Letts Medal at the South Australian Racing Industry Awards on Saturday night. Decided by stewards through a scaled voting system, allocating points to jockeys who produce the best performances at each metropolitan, provincial and country meeting in the state, Toeroek notched 56 votes to claim the John Letts Medal for 2024.
He also won the Glennon-Johnson Award for winning the metro premiership with 47 wins and Sportsbet Jockey of the Year for his 90 wins in South Australia.
Jake Toeroek | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Talented apprentice Rochelle Milnes dominated the apprentice awards, winning all three titles, the Leon Macdonald Award for SA Apprentice of the Year, the Metropolitan Apprentice of the Year and the Caitlin Forrest SA Provincial and Country Apprentice of the Year.
Queman (Mint Lane {USA}) was crowned SA Champion Racehorse of the Year and Andrew Gluyas-trained Air Assault (Justify {USA}) won the Best Performed Horse Award.
Will Clarken and Niki O'Shea claimed the Metropolitan Trainer of the Year award for the first time, while the Richard and Chantelle Jolly stable claimed a third consecutive CS Hayes Award for the most wins across all races in SA. Garret Lynch won his third the SA Provincial and Country Trainer of the Year Award.
Mollie Knowles won the Stablehand/Strapper of the Year Award and Kirra Reynolds won the Trackwork Rider of the Year Award. The Gawler and Barossa Jockey Club was awarded the Most Outstanding Achievement Award by a Club, while Port Augusta Racing Club’s Darren Bonetti received the award for the Most Outstanding Achievement by an Individual.
Schillaci then spell for Mornington Glory
Trainer Gavin Bedggood will send G1 Moir S. winner Mornington Glory (Shalaa {Ire}) to the G2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield on October 12, then for a spell. “Autumn comes up very quickly, so then we can give him a couple of extra weeks in the paddock and bring him back for the Adams Stakes and then the Black Caviar Lightning second-up,” Bedgood told racing.com.
Gavin Bedggood | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“Mornington Glory’s second-up form is very good, and we’d target that race second-up after he had run in a race such as the Adams Stakes first-up.”
Racing Victoria issues warning ahead of gaming discussion in parliament
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland is set to present plans for gambling advertising restrictions to cabinet on Monday in Canberra, and Racing Victoria has issued a warning on Sunday in relation to the viability of racing.
“Racing is fundamentally different to sport in respect of its relationship with wagering and needs to be considered through a different lens,” RV chief executive Aaron Morrison told racenet.com.au.
“We hope we're not the victim of unintended consequences … we've advocated for the differentiation of racing given wagering is an intrinsic and core part of our product and fundamental to its appeal.” Racing generates $4.7 billion in economic activity in Victoria, more than half in regional areas, and employs 35,000 full-time equivalent people.
“It's not an exaggeration to say thousands of jobs could be impacted if the Government's proposed reforms adversely impact racing. All three racing codes will need to make some tough calls if there's a blanket ban on all advertising and promotions.
“We do appreciate community concerns about saturation of gambling advertising in general programming and sports broadcasts, particularly where it may be seen by minors or people not expecting or wanting to be exposed to gambling. Racing is a different product, targeted at informed adults, who have a clear expectation of the intersection between racing and wagering. We need an appropriate framework that allows the industry to engage with adult fans today and into the future.”
The vast majority of gambling harm in Australia comes from poker machines and lotteries. According to the latest gaming report, of the $24 billion spent of gambling in Australia in 2020/21, $12 billion was on pokies.
Victoria’s highest earning maiden wins
Victoria’s highest-earning maiden is winless no longer, as Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s 3-year-old colt Rue De Royale (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) posted an impressive all-the-way victory over 1300 metres at Bendigo on Sunday to take his record to a win and three placings from nine starts with earnings over $690,000.
At two he ran second in both the Golden Gift and R. Listed Inglis Millennium with both efforts garnering $570,000. In winning he became Per Incanto’s 400th individual winner.
Duchess to dash into Cup contention
Trainer Symon Wilde says the move of The Archer to this Saturday at Flemington, and the golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup for the winner, couldn’t have been timed better for Dashing Duchess (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}). “She’s in form and up and running. She deserves a shot in a race like this,” Wilde told racing.com about the mare who has won her last two in succession.
Symon Wilde
“She's tracking the right way. She's got a nice profile for an up-and-coming staying horse. She’s in form at the right time. I think she’s now got enough runs under her belt now to compete at the level. We’re hopeful and excited. She’s surprised us a little. We'll be interested to see what level she gets to, so we’ll get a great guide in The Archer. If we were to win, then we’d definitely take up the option of heading to the Melbourne Cup.”
Durova wins at Bendigo
Having her first start at three, trainer Ciaron Maher’s 3-year-old filly Durova (Russian Revolution) won at Bendigo on Sunday. In her only start at two, she ran seventh in the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ S.
Treble for Fiore at Kalgoorlie
WA’s Kalgoorlie meeting on Sunday was a good one for jockey Lucy Fiore winning three races aboard Pirate’s Alley (Palentino), Secret Style (Justify {USA}) and Dont Wait For Luck (Nicconi).
Lucy Fiore | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Media personality fined for altercation with Pike
Michael Heaton, from Tabtouch, received a $2000 fine and was charged under AR228(b), which states that ‘Conduct detrimental to the interests of racing’ includes misconduct, improper conduct, or unseemly behaviour, over a heated exchange of words with jockey William Pike on Saturday at Belmont.
Michael Heaton | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Pike, who had ridden the second-place finisher and odds-on favourite Triple Jay (Street Boss {USA}), declined to comment after the race, which reportedly led to the altercation. Heaton pleaded guilty to the charge related to the exchange with Pike.
De Forza steps out at Grafton Monday
Race 5 at Grafton on Monday will see 3-year-old colt De Forza (Calyx {GB}) have his third start for trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith, who combines with Taree-based apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald to boast an uncommonly high 27.3 per cent winning strike-rate.
“He is quite a nice colt actually,” Mayfield-Smith told racenet.com.au of the colt who has a win and a second from two starts. “His runs have been well-spaced. I just let them roll along and see how they're handling it and we work it out from there.”
Bathurst ready for Cup day next Sunday
Course specialist Life’s A Party (Star Turn) could further enhance her Bathurst record when she tackles next Sunday’s $110,000 The Panorama (1300 metres). “I’m not sure why, but for some reason she loves racing at Bathurst,” said trainer Mark Jones about her Bathurst record of three starts for two wins and a third.
The Panorama is named after Bathurst’s legendary Mount Panorama and is run just under five weeks out from the $2m The Kosciuszko at Royal Randwick on 19 October, with sweepstakes tickets drawn this Wednesday. The other feature on Sunday is the $50,000 Bathurst Cup (1800 metres) which carries eligibility for the $3 million Big Dance at Randwick in November.
Savaglee heads for bigger targets
While top honours did not go the way of Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) in Saturday’s Listed El Roca, trainer Pam Gerard took plenty of positives from the second-placed performance of her colt as he heads towards loftier targets.
“We thought they were going to go a bit quicker, but they dictated in front and we just are riding him neutral where he is happy. They took the pace out and he just had a few traffic issues, he probably got on the back of the wrong horse and had to get out again but his last 200 was pretty impressive,” Gerard told Loveracing.nz on Sunday.
“He had a big season as a 2-year-old which most of them don’t, I think he had seven starts which is a pretty big ask, but he’s just got a constitution and a nature where he comes home and eats everything. He’s always been a very sound horse, he gets trotted up after each race and the vets say that he’s perfect, so those two factors are a massive help.
“He’s not overly big but he’s very strong, he was strong as a 2-year-old but he just looked a bit like a baby, but this prep he has muscled up a bit more and evened out, he’s got a bit more length and physically matured. Mentally, he really came to the party yesterday as well.”
