The stable of Dale Afford was the big winner of the 2015-2016 Port Pirie Harness Racing Club season which came to a conclusion last Friday night.
Port Pirie-based Afford was the leading trainer with 130 points holding off the late charge by Toby Ryan (117) with the duo of Jake Webster and Aaron Bain (95) third. He will pick up the trophy donated by owner Frank Borg.
Afford’s principal owners are his wife Mignon, Lisa Partington and Terry Deed and they will collect the Leading Owners Trophy donated by the Port Pirie Harness Racing Club Ladies Auxiliary.
Horses owned by the trio collected 105 points, 34 clear of Lyn Proud.
Their best horse was Cheersbigears who was tallied 60 points to collect the Leading Horse Award trophy, the Les and Joan Duffield Memorial from Wills (38) with Smooth Grin and Canturi Crest tying for third on 28 points.
Cheersbigears had eight wins and 11 placings from 28 starts in the season.
Champion driver Dani Hill took out the Leading Reinsperson award, donated by Robert Cronin, with 274 points, well clear of her brother Wayne (215) with Ryan Hryhorec (135) third.
Aaron Bain was the Leading Young Reinsperson with 82 points to beat Josh Holberton (63) and take off the trophy donated by D Hoare.
A win on Friday saw the Lyndon Hall-trained Reva take out the Leading Three-Year-Old with 27 points from Alldaybliss (20) and Hilltop Rose (126). The trophy is donated by Mick Osborne.
Ron Roberts the Leading Two-Year-Old trophy which finished in a tie between Arm A Princess, trained by Lance Holberton and Sassy Indiana, prepared by Lyndon Hall, on 10 points with Riverboy Denzel (9) and Glenrae Hanover (6), second and third respectively.
Arm A Princess was badly hurt in a race fall at Melton on July 16 and her survival was touch and go but at last report the filly was on the road to recovery but most unlikely to race again.
The Brian Clarke and Joy Lane Memorial Fastest Winning Mile Rate at Port Pirie for the season was by the Jon Kingston-Mayne-trained Some Kinda Tactics which recorded 1:53.8 in winning the Kadina Pacing Cup (1609m) on March 4. Owner Lyn Proud will collect a trophy donated by Ron Lane and family.
The Port Pirie club is always trying to promote the sport and at its next meeting on Friday, September 9 will run a dual race series for R1/R2 horses over 1609 metres.
Horses will compete in heat one early in the night, then again in heat two later in the night.
Horses will receive points in each heat and after the two races, the highest point scorer will pick up a $1000 bonus with $300 for second and $200 for third.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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