The 30th anniversary Southland Harness Racing Awards sponsored by Southern Harness Inc (replaced Cullen Breeding sponsors for past seventeen years) were held at the Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill on Sunday 13 August 2017. In attendance was long-time club secretary, Trotting Conference representative and the first recipient of the Person of the Year award in 1988, Peter Burns. Following pre dinner drinks and dinner, awards were presented.
Christian Cullen gelding Roman Gladiator was the horse honoured at the gala night. The winner of nineteen races for trainers Colin Baynes and Robin Swain, his Group One win’s came in the 2003 NRM Sires’ Stakes Series Final and $100,000 2004 NSW Derby over 2565m at Harold Park. He also won the Group Two Welcome Stakes, Rising Stars 3YO Championship and Southern Supremacy Stakes Final. His nineteen wins, nine seconds and ten thirds included Firestone Junior FFA on NZ Cup Day, Tuapeka and Invercargill Winter Cups. His placings numbered seconds in Thames/Northern Southland/Alexandra Park and Addington Winter Cups and Canterbury Classic with thirds in 3yo Flying Stakes and New Brighton/Central Otago Cups. He amassed earnings of $318,022 in NZ and $92,650 in Australia with a best mile rate of 1:55.3, 1950mM (Addington 3YO Sires Stakes final).
Among major award winners on the night were :
- Washington VC/Bryleigh Stud Southland Standardbred Breeders Broodmare of Southland Award : CHICAGO BLUES
Chicago Blues (breeder Aidan Johnstone): dam of Chicago Bull (Bettors Delight gelding) her first foal, the winner of thirteen Western Australia races plus three seconds and two thirds, $674,769, 1:52.6. Three of these victories came in Group Ones (WA/Fremantle Cups, McInerney Ford 4yo Championship). Chicago Blues is owned by Roger and Helen, John and Katrina Price.
Other nominees with seasonal highlights listed were –
Especial Franco (breeder Spreydon Lodge Ltd) : owners Kenny and Joelle Baynes raced two of her fillies in the latest season, Envious (Changeover), a three race winner (1:55.3; 2:02.4 Gore 1800m grass track record) trained by Joelle and Especial (Christian Cullen), a two race winner (1:58.6) in 2016/7 season for trainer Tony Stratford. In addition, Expressionist (Live Or Die gelding), won seven in Australia, six at Menangle, twice in 1:51.7 this latest season.
Rakarach : bred and owned by Brendan Fahy, Rakarach was represented by Rakarazor (Rocknroll Hanover filly), the winner of one at Alexandra Park and nine in Australia this season, eight of them at Menangle including the Group Three Tailamade Lombo Stakes (1:52.2) for mares. Her other Australian win came at Tamworth in a Golden Guitar heat together with a third in Group Two Carousel final. Other foals to perform included 13-year-old first foal Rakarebel (Christian Cullen gelding), won twice at Albion Park in September 2016 (1:54.1) and two year old half-brother Rakasinc (Changeover gelding), winner at Bathurst earlier this month (1:58.8).
Sly Shard : bred and owned by Debbie and Mark Smith, Sly Shard left them leading two year old Mach Shard (Mach Three colt), the winner of three at Alexandra Park from Barry Purdon’s stable including Young Guns heat and Group One Young Guns Cardigan Bay Stakes (1:55.2). Older half-brothers, Jamieson Shard (American Ideal ET gelding) won his first two career starts and Linton Shard (Changeover ET gelding) won for Dexter Dunn at Addington in September 2016. Note – Sly Shard was inducted into the Southland Elite Broodmare category. Bella Ragazza (2002), Dreamy Atom (2006) and Beaudiene Babe (2014) are the other mares on this list.
- Southland Horse of the Year : DARK HORSE
Dark Horse is the first trotting mare to win this award in 30 years with the only other trotters to have won being David Moss (1991 and 1993) and Alley Way (2015). Dark Horse (Bacardi Lindy/Juliana filly) : pIn up trotter from the deep south with a win in the $40,000 Uncut Gems Trotters Classic, principal win of six from her ten starts ($57,200) which included setting a 2400 metre mobile mares, track, Southland and all-comers record (T1:59.9 MR) at Winton and 2700 stand start mare’s Ascot Park and Southland record (T3:26.7). Three wins came at Invercargill, two at Winton and one at Addington together with a third in the Jewels four year old Ruby for the half-sister of Carla Bruni, Sarah Palin, Monty Python and Father Christmas. Dark Horse is trained by Nathan Williamson being raced by the Griffins and Seafield Trotting Syndicates, head-quartered in Christchurch with members throughout the south.
Other nominees with seasonal highlights listed were –
Bettor Ops (Bettors Delight/Special Ops gelding) : owned by Sydneysiders Reg Turner and son David, Bettor Ops relocated to Australia in July. The now five year old son of Cup class pacer Special Ops trained by Branxholme, Southland’s Kirk Larsen won three of his twelve four year old starts ($44,390) at Addington on Show Day (Macca South of Waitaki final in 1:55.8MR, 1950mM), Gore and Southern Country Cups final at Invercargill. He also recorded seconds in Invercargill Autumn and Winton Cups and a third in Gore Cup.
Seaswift Joy (Bettors Delight/Swift Belle filly): trained out of the Wyndham stable of Gordon and Colin Lee for the majority of her seasonal starts (11 of 17) but owned in Canterbury by Malcolm Shinn and the Redmond’s, she won seven with a second and three thirds (two Nevele R heats, Group Two Southland Oaks), $55,010. Her wins came at Rangiora (Malcolm Shinn tr), Wairio, Winton, Wyndham (twice), Methven (Hororata heat of Nevele R fillies series, 2:00.2 grass mile) and Invercargill. At Young Quinn Raceway (Wyndham) she set mile track (1:54.2) record and track and Southland 2400m stand (2:00.7MR) records for three-year-old fillies. On Wairio Mile day she paced 1:52.0 when second to Delightful Memphis.
Southland Achievement of Year (formerly Personality of Year) : ROBERT WILSON, Northern Southland Trotting Club stalwart and licensed trainer Robert Wilson was the recipient of the Southland Acheivement of the Year Award, which replaces what was previously called The Person of the Year Award. The Award reflected Robert’s success in training 13 winners this season, eight seconds and 14 thirds. One of his stable stars Eagle Galleon won three races and was placed seven times qualifying for the Jewels Ruby at Ashburton. Another star was Spotlight the Valley, the winner of four with seven placings and winner of this year’s Caduceus Club Trotter of the Year Award.
Through the years Robert has had an ongoing and long standing involvement with harness racing administration. He started on the Northern Southland Trotting Club in 1988 and has been president for a term, being made a life member of the club in 2010. He along with the late Bruce Campbell got the club’s 50th jubilee off the ground together with the jubilee book “From the tin shed to the top of the park”. He was also the instigator of the gold card days at Ascot Park which has bought many a punter to their race meetings. He was on Harness 2000 and spent many hours trying to get lights at Ascot Park. Robert initiated the monthly meeting of Southland club presidents. He has been a breeder and owner for many years.
Other nominees with seasonal highlights listed were –
Kevin McNaught : Southern Harness : ITO Cadet of Year
Brett Gray : Leading Southland trainer
Bruce Stewart : Journalist
A list of other Award winners follows :
Southland Standardbred Breeders Awards :
2Y0 Filly : REPARTEE – owners FJ Price, KV Price, TG and VI Bell; trainers FJ and KV Price
3Y0 Filly: SEASWIFT JOY– owners MI Shinn, JR,GS,DC,AG and Mrs PR Redmond; trainers Gordon and Colin Lee/Malcolm Shinn; driver in photo is Clark Barron
Aged race mare : DARK HORSE – Griffin and Seafield Trotting Syndicate; trainer Nathan Williamson
Group Race certificates :
BETTOR JOY, owners Mrs C,M Dalgety, BA Smith, KR Clark, GP Merlo, Mrs HMF Hanning, MP Hanning
MACH SHARD, owners Debbie and Mark Smith
SSBA/Shard Farms Fastest Winning Mile Rate Filly/Mare :
BETTA GO FERNCO, 28/01/2017, 1:54.9, Ascot Park, Invercargill – Owners BW and Mrs EJ Ferns and MJ and AD Swain; trainer Aaron Swain
Southland Harness Awards :
2Y0 Colt or Gelding: Two Year Old Colt/Gelding of the Year: SIMPLY DREAMING –owners M Saunders, P and G and Miss J Breen, G Anderson and A Gow; trainer Tony Stratford
Robin Dundee Club Awards :
3Y0 Filly: VENICE EACH –owner LJ Smith; trainer Lauren Pearson
3Y0 Colt or Gelding: YOUNG CONQUEROR –owners RF and Mrs SF Symon; trainer Brett Gray
Caduceus Club of Southland Awards :
Caduceus Club trotter : SPOTLIGHT THE VALLEY – owner Sunbeam Syndicate; trainer Robert Wilson
Members Award : PERRIN SMITH for All Settled Down (four wins in 2016/7 for trainer Gavin Smith)
Southland Trainers and Drivers Association Awards :
Leading Trainer: BRETT GRAY (26 Wins, $194,045, UDR 0.2298)
Leading Driver: NATHAN WILLIAMSON (44 wins, $397,366, UDR 0.1980)
Leading Junior Driver: SHEREE TOMLINSON (24 wins, $220,082, UDR 0.1637)
Leading UDR Driver: GORDON LEE (UDR 0.2614, 13 wins, $100,672)
Leading UDR Trainer: TONY STRATFORD (UDR 0.2890, 20 wins, $153,760)
Licensed To Trainer: ROBERT WILSON (13 wins, $90,372, UDR 0.2047)
Contribution to Harness Racing : following persons were recognised for their long associations with their respective clubs and work behind the scenes –
- a) GEORGE YOUNGMAN (Gore)
- b) DOUG STEWART (Wyndham)
- c) PETER DRUMMOND (Winton)
Award of Excellence :
KIERAN MCNAUGHT was another winner, receiving an Award of Excellence for being named New Zealand Harness Racing’s ITO Cadet of the Year in Christchurch at the 2017 Harness Racing Awards on 4 August.
Breeders Awards :
1:58 pins (trotters two minutes) for horses raced by members of the Southland Standardbred Breeders Association
- Betta Go Fernco (MJ Swain)
- English Rose (SWR Gillan)
- Luciano (M and B McLellan)
- Paramount King (B and K Calder)
- Pay Master (A and G Paisley)
- Rakarolla (BJ Fahy)
- Sheezacullengirl (MJ Little)
- Sweet Loress (P O’Brien)
- Delight My Soul (SR Baucke)
- Kayteeoh Denario (MP and PM O’Connor)
- Nerve Of Steel (MDJ Saunders)
- Pat’s Delight (P Kubala)
- Pegasus Merrily (MDJ Saunders)
- Share The Road (MJ and WM Swain)
- Somejoy (CJ Barron)
- The High Roller (R and B Ludemann)
Peter Craig
14 August 2017
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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