18 September 2019 | GRAEME WHITE
NAMING rights for next year’s $30,000 Wagga Pacers Cup has been taken out by XXXXX Gold following lastSaturday night’s awards function.
The Group 3 feature race will be held on Sunday May 24 while the other feature races for the season were claimed by Hillis Motor Group (Derby)), Sheather’s Painting (Oaks) and Ron Crouch Transport (2yo Rising Stars).
Wagga Harness Racing Club’s remaining feature meeting for the season is the Christmas meeting on December 14 where Duke Of Kent Hotel won naming rights for the Christmas Cup.
There were many additional awards for the 2018-19 season presented at the Rules Club before 115 guests where Bruce Harpley took home the Southwest & Riverina Trainer of the Year and the overall consistency award.
Harpley was pleased to win his first regional trainer’s title following on from his late father, Allan Harpley.
“I have won some Group One races with Frith, but this is just as big as those for me,” Harpley said.
The Junee trainer’s right hand man, young reinsman Jordan Seary, claimed the Nic Dewar Memorial award after a fine season.
Seary is one of the drivers for Southwest & Riverina Pacer of the Year Ned Pepper who won and was placed in many regional cups for trainer Katie Jenner.
Top flight driver Blake Jones won both the Riverina and Wagga driving titles while his partner, Ellen Bartley, was the leading female trainer-driver.
Wagga trainer Paul Kahlefeldt won three awards taking out the trainer of the year title at Wagga in a tight finish that went right down to the final meeting of the season.
Pacer of the year Seattle Trace, which he owns, helped him seal the award while he was also named owner of the year.
Three-year-old Western Secret took top honors in the Riverina and Wagga juvenile filly of the year, while Major Roll was named the best three-year-old male.
Peter McRae was the recipient of the leading junior driver title, while Blaster Ranger and Matthew Harris had the best strike-rate of any duo at Wagga during last season.
After winning three races in the space of six days, Lenas Art was announced as the iron horse award winner for trainer David Druitt.
Young trainers Jacqui Ingham and Andrew Harrington both received Encouragement awards.
Fellow concession drivers McRae, Bartley, Seary, Jared Kahlefeldt, Jess Prior, Bayley Duck, Blake Micallef and Miranda McLoughlin were acknowledged for finishing in the top bracket of the Wagga concessional drivers’ premiership.
Wagga will race next on Friday afternoon.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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