Harness Racing Australia (HRA) today announced the winners of their 2018 Horse of the Year Awards, with Lazarus taking out Harness Horse of the Year honours.
It was a stunning year for Lazarus in Australia earning a million dollars and winning the Inter Dominion and Hunter Cup double for trainer-driver Mark Purdon. In addition to the Harness Horse of the Year award, the New Zealand bred horse also took out the Australian Pacer of the Year and Aged Pacing Horse of Gelding of the Year awards.
In another stellar season for Mark Purdon, his star two year old pacing filly, Our Princess Tiffany won the Australian Two Year Old Pacing Filly trophy after her three-for-three season in Australia culminating in a terrific Breeders Crown win.
Premier Victorian trainer Emma Stewart dominated the juvenile pacing boys divisions, with colts Centenario and Poster Boy taking out the Two Year Old and Three Year Old Colts and Gelding Awards respectively.
Great Southern Star champ Sparkling Success was the big trotting winner for John and Mary Meade as he won 2018 Australian Trotter of the Year and Aged Trotting Horse or Gelding of the Year, which is sure to be a thrill for the Meade’s after the horse’s untimely injury this month.
Star Yabby Dam Farms trotter, Always Ready was the most clear cut winner this year. In a season in which he was not once out of the placings from eight starts for trainer Anton Golino, Always Ready was the overwhelming victor in the Two Year Old Trotting Colts and Geldings division.
The performance criteria for the HRA Awards is for performances by Australian trained horses, as well as for Australian performances of New Zealand trained horses.
The full list of Australian Horse of the Year winners and their performances across all categories is attached:
For more information, please contact Harness Racing Australia on 03 9227 3000.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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