This 28th Southland Harness Racing Awards sponsored by Cullen Breeding were held at the Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill on Sunday 16 August 2015. MC’s for the evening were Nicole Elliott and Bruce Stewart.
Among major award winners on the night were :
- Southland Standardbred Breeders Broodmare of Southland Award : Breath of Life bred by Diane Cournane. She is presently breeding from three mares, Make Mine Roses, Nitouche Franco and Breath of Life. Last season one of her breed, All Star Man won the PGG NZ Yearling Sales Aged Pace, a listed race at Kaikoura. Her major success was breeding and part owning one of New Zealand’s top three year olds fillies in Fight For Glory. She was victorious in Group 1 Queensland/NSW/NZ Oaks, ran second in the Nevele R Fillies and Harness Jewels Diamond, third in the Queensland Derby as well as winning the Group 3 Gold Coast Oaks. Fight for Glory also set a world record for 2400m M at Menangle on Interdominion Grand Final day,
- Southland Horse of the Year : trotter Alley Way – The six year old Monarchy – No Way gelding faced the starter fifteen times, winning on five occasions (NZ Metropolitan TC/ Cheviot at Addington, Timaru, Invercargill and Tuapeka) with four seconds and two thirds and a mile in T1:56.8. One of his notable performances was running third to Stent in the Group 1 Rowe Cup, another creditable performance was his second in the Group three Southern Lights.
- Personality of Year : well respected senior Southland horseperson Clark Barron joined a select band of NZ Drivers to have achieved 1,000 driving successes. He joins 23 others on the elite list in the 1000 club which includes the likes of Maurice Holmes, Peter Wolfenden, Tony Herlihy, Maurice McKendry, Dexter Dunn and brother Ken Barron. Clark is the first Southland based driver to drive 1000 winners, although he did spend some time in Christchurch driving for Michael House, most of his winning drives have been in Southland. In the latest season, his training stats showed 17 wins and 24 placings from 117 starters earning stakes of $120,061. He drove 263 horses in the 2014/5 season winning on 30 occasions, being placed 61 times with stakes of $221,783. One of Clark’s best days was on Diamonds Day at Invercargill where he reined home his 1000th winner (Flight Deck) then later in the day he won the Group 2 Southern Supremacy Stakes with I’m Full of Excuses. A most deserving winner of this award
In addition to the award winners listed, certificates were issued to breeders of group race winners; NZ record holders and 1:58 pins honouring pacers and 2:00 pins honouring trotters who won in 1:58/T2:00 or better mile rates during the 2014/5 season for their Southland Standardbred Breeders members.
A full list of Award winners follows :
Southland Standardbred Breeders Awards :
Leading stake earners 2Y0 Filly Pat Campbell (owners Bruce Negus and Miss Pat Campbell, tr Tony Barron); 3Y0 Filly: Bonnie Khalessi (owner Brendon and SA McIntyre, WJ and JM Nelson, tr Tony Stratford); Aged race mare : Delightful Dash (owners BB Stud Ltd and DM Shammall, tr Tony Barron); Fastest winning mile rate filly/mare : Luminesce (owners Mandy and Paul Pearce, tr Wayne Adams, 1:54.9, Wyndham)
Washington VC/Bryleigh Stud SSBA Broodmare of the Year : Breath of Life, dam of Fight For Glory (owner Dianne Cournane)
Contribution to Harness Racing :
Art Bloxham (long time licence holder, horse float operator and sponsor), Bruce Stewart (President Riverton TC, promotor inaugural Diamond Day, editor Southland Harness website), Ben Ward (horseman, starter for Southern Region)
Awards of Excellence :
Ardens Choice, Democrat Party, Jaccka Justy, Mossdale Conner, Pemberton Shard
Southland Harness Awards :
2Y0 Filly: Envious (owners Kenny Baynes and Jo Calder, tr Tony Stratford); 2Y0 Colt or Gelding: Chicago Bull (owners/trainers John and Katrina Price); 4YO Mare: Leigh Major (owners Bruce and Al Sinclair, tr Brendon McLellan); 4YO Horse or Gelding: Milligan (owners the Wilson family, tr Ross Wilson)
Washington VC Mare of Year : Leigh Major Major (owners Bruce and Al Sinclair, tr Brendon McLellan)
Robin Dundee Awards :
3Y0 Filly: Bonnie Khalessi (owner Brendon and SA McIntyre, WJ and JM Nelson, tr Tony Stratford);
3Y0 Colt or Gelding: Costa Del Magnifico (owners MD and SJ Allen, tr Brent Shirley)
Caduceus Club of Southland Awards :
Caduceus Club trotter : Mass Invasion (owner John Crooks, tr Clark Barron)
Members Award : Wayne Pierce (She’s Smooth)
Southland Trainers and Drivers Association Awards :
Leading Trainer: Nathan Wiliamson (42 wins, $309,350, UDR .2945)
Leading Driver: Nathan Williamson (75 wins, $574,407, UDR .2521)
Leading Junior Driver: Craig Ferguson (36 wins, $267,137, UDR .1716)
Leading driver of trotters: Nathan Williamson (18 wins, $140,735, UDR .2387)
Southland Horse of the Year: Alley Way; Other finalists : Franco Ledger, Im Full of Excuses, Pulp Fiction, Tas Man Bromac
Personality of the Year : Clark Barron; Other finalists : Diane Cournane, Nathan Williamson
Peter Craig
18 August 2015
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
