In a change from the tradition of recent years, the 2017/8 season annual awards ceremony dinner was held on Saturday 29 September 2018 at Alexandra Park Raceway, Auckland coinciding with the annual Harness Racing Conference held this year in Auckland. The awards evening recognised the outstanding performances and performers of the 2017/8 season.
The evening consisted of a three course meal, drinks and entertainment with the award ceremonies MC’s being Jess Smith and Michael Guerin. An audience in excess of 300 were in attendance. An After Party with a DJ and light supper followed in the Alex Park Eatery.
The proceedings were again dominated this year by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen trained horses, notably Princess Tiffany, Another Masterpiece, Enhance Your Calm, Cheerful, Chase Auckland, Winterfell, Luby Lou, Ultimate Machete, Shez All Rock and champion racehorse Lazarus. Lazarus was a well merited Pacer and Harness Horse of the Year for the second year running.
Season highlights were the Grand Circuit performances of pacers Lazarus, Chase Auckland, Vincent, Ultimate Machete, Shez All Rock, Elle Mac together with trotting comeback kid Speeding Spur’s Group One trotting victories. The season ending Group One Harness Jewels day at Cambridge in June 2018 continued to be a fine advertisement for harness racing and included the first Australian invited winner in Shez All Rock (3yo fillies).
Congratulations to all the award winners on the night. A listing follows with applicable seasonal details (NZ stats to 31 July 2018 and Australian stats to 31 August 2018) :
Vincent 2YO Pacing Filly : PRINCESS TIFFANY (Art Major/Dancing Diamonds); owners Braeden and Caroline Whitelock, Phil Creighton and Margaret Creighton;; trainers : Mark Purdon & Natalie Rasmussen; NZ seasonal record : six starts, six wins, $209,000, 1:54.2, Delightful Lady/Caduceus Club Fillies Classics, Harness Jewels 2yo Diamond; AUS record, three starts, three wins, 1:55.3 (2240mM), $160,400, AUS Breeders Crown 2f; Australian 2yo Filly Pacer of Year
Other contenders : Dracarys, Havtime, Kayla Marie
IRT 2YO Pacing Colt or Gelding : ANOTHER MASTERPIECE (Bettors Delight/Elegant Art); owners : Glenys Kennard, Phil Kennard, Breckon Racing Syndicate, Jim Gibbs MNZM, Anne Gibbs, Gary Woodham, Keryn Woodham; trainers : Mark Purdon & Natalie Rasmussen; seasonal record : eight NZ starts, five wins, three placings $257,551, 1:53.4, NZYSS 2yo Final, Welcome Stakes, Harness Jewels Emerald; AUS record, three starts, one win, two placings, 1:54.0, $41,156
Other contenders : A Bettor Act, Jesse Duke, War Dan Delight
Standardbreds Make Awesome Pets 2YO Trotting Filly : CHEERFUL (Muscles Yankee/Superbowlcheerleader); owners : Braeden and Caroline Whitelock; trainers : Mark Purdon & Natalie Rasmussen; NZ seasonal record : three starts, one win one placing, $21,099, T2:06.9, 3rd Harness Jewels 2yo Ruby
Other contenders : She Reigns, Sunny’s Little Jestic, Tickle Me Pink
Breckon Farms 2YO Trotting Colt or Gelding : ENHANCE YOUR CALM (Majestic Son/All Settled Down); owners : Danny and Mrs J Zavitsanos; trainers : Mark Purdon & Natalie Rasmussen; seasonal record : four starts, four wins, $114,762, T1:59.4, NZ 2yo Trotting Stakes, NZSS 2yo Trot Final, Harness Jewels 2yo Ruby, NZR 1950mM (2yo trotter colt or gelding), T2:24.9
Other contenders : Full Noise, One Apollo, Oscar Bonavena
Alabar 3YO Pacing Filly : SHEZ ALL ROCK (Rocknroll Heaven/Irish Loch); owner : Chris Ryder; trainers (NZ) Mark Purdon & Natalie Rasmussen; seasonal record : NZ two starts, two wins, $154,500, 1:51.8, NZ Oaks, Harness Jewels Diamond; AUS eight starts, seven wins, one placing, $268,350, 1:53.7 (1650mM), VIC Platinum Home Grown series, NSW/VIC Oaks; Australian 3yo Filly Pacer of Year
Other contenders : Bettor Joy, Dibaba, Elle Mac, Sociable
Lone Star Alexandra Park 3YO Pacing Colt or Gelding : CHASE AUCKLAND (Auckland Reactor/Delicata); owners : Alabar Racing Syndicate; trainers : Mark Purdon & Natalie Rasmussen; seasonal record : nine starts, eight wins, one placings, $392,329, 1:52.2 (1950m); NZSS 3yo open, NZYSS 3yo, Alabar Classic, GN Derby, NZR’s (3yo colt or gelding) 1950mM (3yo) 2:16.1, 2700mM 3:16.8
Other contenders : Pat’s Delight, Sheriff, Sicario
What the Hill 3YO Trotting Filly : LUBY LOU (Muscle Hill/Luby Ann); owner/lessee : Breckon Farms Six of the Best Syndicate; trainer : Mark Purdon & Natalie Rasmussen; seasonal record : four starts, three wins, $91,050, T2:00.1 (2600mM), NZ/Southland Trotting Oaks, NZ Trotting Derby
Other contenders : Monaro Mia, Renezmae, Show Gait
Commodore Airport Hotel 3YO Trotting Colt or Gelding : WINTERFELL (Majestic Son/Una Bromac); owners : Trevor Casey; seasonal record : seven starts, five wins, one placing, $176,834, T1:58.9, GN Trotters Derby, NZSS 3yo trot, Harness Jewels 3yo Ruby
Other contenders : Majestic Man, Sundees Son, Valloria
Dunstan Feeds 4YO Pacing Mare : UTMOST DELIGHT (Bettors Delight/Victor Supreme; owner : Charlie Roberts; trainer : Steven Reid; seasonal record : ten starts, three wins, five placings, $159,245, 1:52.7, NZ Breeders Stakes, Harness Jewels Diamond
Other contenders : Bonnie Joan, Delishka, Opoutama, Partyon
HRNZ Marketing Pacing Entire or Gelding : ULTIMATE MACHETE (Bettors Delight/Reality Check); owners : Glenys Kennard, Phil Kennard, Gavin Douglas, Kevin Riseley, Phil Creighton, Margaret Creighton; trainers : Mark Purdon & Natalie Rasmussen; NZ seasonal record : three NZ starts, two wins, $145,654, 1:51.9 (1950mM), NZFFA, NZR (4yo colt or gelding, overall national record), 1950mM 2:15.7; AUS four starts, three wins, $258,686, 1:53.8 (2130mM), WA YO Championship, Golden Nugget
Other contenders : A G’s White Socks, Eamon Maguire, Jack’s Legend, Star Galleria, Vincent
Somerset Racing Stables and Equestrian 4YO Trotting Mare : BONNIE HIGHLANDER (Muscle Mass/Lexie Highlander); owners : Alan Neumann, Ian Neumann, V R L Neumann, B W Clarke; trainer : Robert Dunn; seasonal record : fifteen starts, three wins, three placings, $32,473, T2:04.3, third 4/5yo Trotters Championship
Other contenders : Madison Jane, Mystical Star, Pres The Belle, Ruthless Kayla
Trackside 4YO Trotting Entire or Gelding : HABIBI INTA (Love You/Ten To One); owner Julie Maghzal; trainer : Paul Nairn; seasonal record : eight starts, five wins, $111,350, T1:56.5, Harness Jewels Ruby, NZSS Aged Trotters Classic
Other contenders : Habibi Inta, Izmok, Massive Metro
Canterbury Equine Clinic 5YO and older Pacing Mare : JO’S DREAM (Gotta Go Cullen/Marylyne Bromac), owners : Mrs L Grayling, G J Goodin, Mrs J A Goodin, Amanda Kiddie; trainer : Amanda Kiddie; seasonal record : nine starts, two wins, three placings, $55,875, 1:55.0 (1700mM), Queen of Hearts
Other contenders : American Tart, Better B Amazed, Dream About Me, Jo’s Dream
Hanley Formula 5YO and older Pacing Entire or Gelding : LAZARUS (Bettors Delight/Bethany) [ ]; owners : Glenys Kennard, Phil Kennard, Trevor Casey, Kevin Riseley ; trainers : Mark Purdon & Natalie Rasmussen; seasonal record : four NZ starts, four wins, $495,185, 1:56.8 (2400mM), Aust nine starts, four wins, four placings, A$1,036,299, 1:54.1 (2760mM), NZ Cup, Canterbury Classic, Ashburton Flying Stakes, Kaikoura Cup, ID Pacers heat/grand final, Hunter Cup, NZR 2400m (stand) 2:54.3; Australian Horse of Year, Pacer of Year, Aged Horse/Gelding of Year
Other contenders : Alta Orlando, Heaven Rocks, Titan Banner
Emblems NZ 5YO and older Trotting Mare : DESTINY JONES (The Pres/Galleons Destiny); owners : Jan Gould, Dean Hunter, K Poynter; trainer : Dean Hunter; seasonal record : eighteen starts, two wins, five placings, $59,834, T2:01.3 (2600mM), Ordeal Cup, Southern Lights Trot
Other contenders : Harriet Of Mot, Majestic Ali, Sunset Peak
Lone Star Spitfire at Christchurch Airport 5YO and older Trotting Entire or Gelding : SPEEDING SPUR (Pegasus Spur/Dellas Speed) [unanimous]; owners/lessees : Woodlands partnership Syndicate, Kieran Read, Andy Ellis, Dick Taylor, Dave Hewett; trainers : John and Josh Dickie; seasonal record : seven NZ three starts, three wins, three placings, $180,450, T2:02.5 (2600mM), one unplaced AUS start, A$4,500; Rowe Cup, NZ Trotting Championship
Other contenders : Amaretto Sun, Great Things Happen, Lemond, Temporale
The Informant Moment of Season : SHEREE TOMLINSON/FORD FAMILY – Amaretto Sun, Dominion Hcp win
The Breeders Pacing Broodmare of Year : BETHANY (family of Mona R, U307; dam of Lazarus), bred by Gavin Chin and Studholme Bloodstock Ltd (Brian West)
Other contenders : Dancing Diamonds, Goodlookinggirl
The Breeders Trotting Broodmare of Year : TEN TO ONE (family of Elie De Beaumont, N47; dam of Habibi Inta, Habibti, Habibti Ivy, Lothario, Releven Dream), bred by Dick and Alison Petrie
Other contenders : Della’s Speed, Whosinthenest
The Breeders FastTrack Insurance Breeder of Year : BRAEDEN & CAROLINE WHITELOCK (Princess Tiffany, Kayla Marie, Funatthebeach, Cheerful)
Other contenders : Breckon Farms, Woodlands Stud
Auckland Trotting Club Pacing Stallion of Year : BETTORS DELIGHT (198 winners, 387 wins, $6,916,034)
Other contenders : Art Major, Mach Three
The Breeders Trotting Stallion of Year : MAJESTIC SON (56 winners, 92 wins, $1,378,311)
Other contenders : Love You, Sundon
Met Multiplier $1.5m Milestone Owner of Year : Phillip and Glenys Kennard (Lazarus, Ultimate Machete, Another Masterpiece etc)
Other contenders : Trevor Casey, Jean Feiss
Harness Racing New Zealand Leading Driver of Year : BLAIR ORANGE (232 wins, $2,399,966, UDR : .2841)
Cruickshank Leading Junior Driver of Year – UDR : NATHAN PURDON (14 wins from 84 starts, UDR : .3029)
Southern Harness Racing Leading Junior Driver : MATT ANDERSON (43 wins, $390,065, UDR : .1905)
Airpark Canterbury Cadet of Year : ELLIE BARRON (Southern Region)
Other finalists: Ben Hope (Canterbury), Olivia Thornley (Canterbury), Luke Whittaker (Northern Region) – runner up
Garrands Horse and Hound Leading Trainer of Year : MARK PURDON & NATALIE RASMUSSEN (122 wins, $4,463,338, UDR : .4762)
Woodlands Stud Pacer of Year : LAZARUS
Breckon Farms Trotter of Year : SPEEDING SPUR
NZ Racing Board Outstanding Contribution to Harness Racing : STEVE AND ANNE PHILLIPS : lifetime achievement award to licence holder, administrators, owners, breeders, stud master ……. Steve and Anne Phillips were co-founders of the Amateur Drivers movement in NZ that got off the ground in 2001 and a little over ten years later hosted the world champs in NZ in 2012.
Steve Phillips, an Accountant by trade (licence to train, trials and advanced amateur driver) has trained 108 winners over the past 28 seasons and driven 17 winners over past eleven seasons as an Amateur driver. He has competed in NZ Amateur Drivers Championships, is a former North Island Champion and has represented NZ at World Champs in Belgium in 2004 and in New Zealand in 2012 (World Cup of Amateur Driving).
Apart from developing a successful band of broodmares he spent fifteen years as a stud master standing stallions such as Soky’s Atom, Genghis Khan, New York Motoring, Butler BG and Chiola Hanover. Steve Phillips sat on the Board of HRNZ for twelve years, retiring in 2017. Over this period, he held Board responsibility for a wide range of HRNZ portfolios, including representing HRNZ on the Board of the Racing Integrity Unit. He and his wife Anne were Harness Racing New Zealand delegates at the 2009 World Trotting Conference in Norway.
Anne Phillips was the inaugural winner of the ICE Bloodstock Unsung Hero Award in 2008/9 created for those within harness racing who are hardworking, passionate and dedicated to the sport, whether in paid employment or a volunteer, the award was designed to reward efforts making a positive impact on the harness racing industry. Anne Phillips certainly fits this category – among many achievements she is Auckland/Waikato contact for Amateur Drivers Association; involved on NZ Equine Education Trust subcommittee with ‘Croon Bloodstock Award’ which enables North Island harness racing participants from all sectors of the industry to apply for grants towards up-skilling. Successful candidates are people with a long-term future in harness racing, and who will use their expanded knowledge or experience to add value to our industry in areas such as farrier, dentistry, computer skills and communication/media for example …..
Just a few of the industry areas Steve and Anne Phillips have been involved in over a considerable number of years.
NZ Bloodstock Standardbred Horse of Year : LAZARUS
Peter Craig
1 October 2018
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
