In Brief
- Judges couldn't separate Mystic Journey and The Inevitable.
- Still a Star snared top 3YO award from Deroche.
- Gee Gee Josie named Tasmania's best two-year-old.
Two of Tasmania’s star thoroughbred performers from last season Mystic Journey and The Inevitable created history last night when they were named joint winners of the Ladbrokes Tasmanian Horse of the Year Award.
The tied result evoked thunderous applause from the 200 who attended the annual Thoroughbred Awards and Hall of Fame dinner at Ladbrokes Park Elwick and the entire event was live streamed by TasracingTV through its website www.tasracing.com.au.
Mystic Journey wins the Australian Guineas.
It is the first time since the inaugural HOTY awards in 1980 that the judges have been unable to deliver an individual winner, with voting on a 3-2-1- basis..
Mystic Journey had a mixed season winning the Group 2 P. B. Lawrence Stakes and placing in the Group 1 Makybe Diva before just missing a place in the Cox Plate, while The Inevitable won at Flemington before heading to Sydney to win the inaugural $500,000 Silver Eagle for four-year-olds and then had no luck in the $7,5 million Golden eagle.
Mystic Journey’s owner Wayne Roser said (via video link) that he was thrilled that his mare was able to share the top gong with The Inevitable.
“Winning this award is a thrill and to share it with another champion horse who has champion owners and trainer makes it even more special.”
The connections of The Inevitable mirrored Roser’s comments and they added that they were hopeful The Inevitable can cap the celebration by winning at Flemington on Saturday.
The Inevitable wins the Silver Eagle at Randwick. (Photo courtesy of Racing & Sports)
There was great debate leading up to lFriday night’s event as to which of last season’s outstanding three-year-olds, Deroche and Still a Sar, would win the top 3YO title and that was given to the Bill Ryan-trained Still a Star.
Still a Star won six of seven starts ranging in distance from 1100m to 2100m and included four $100,000 Listed events in succession starting with the Tasmanian Guineas and she capped her season by winning the $150,000 Tasmanian Oaks.
Deroche won five of seven including the $75,000 Tasmanian Magic Millions 3&4 YO Classic just three days before she won the Group 3 Vamos Stakes, a Group 3 weight-for-age race for fillies and mares in Launceston.
The Leanne Gaffney-trained filly also won the Carbine Club Stakes in Hobart before finishing a luckless second in the $150,000 Group 3 Bow Mistress Stakes.
The Stuart Gandy-trained Gee Gee Josie that won the $100,000 Elwick Stakes before finishing second to Jyoti in the $150.000 Gold Sovereign Stakes, but she was the first Tasmanian horse home.
The other outstanding two-year-old was the Leanne Gaffney-trained Le Cadeau that wo the Alfa Bowl and the $75,000 Tasmanian Magic Millions 3YO Classic.
The other award winners were:
- Leading Race mare or Filly – Mystic Journey
- Leading Tasmanian-based sire – Wordsmith (Gee Gee Horse Stud)
- Leading Tasmanian-based juvenile sire – Wordsmith (Gee Gee Horse Stud)
- Leading Broodmare – God Bless Us (Armidale Stud)
- Leading Trainer – Scott Brunton
- Leading Jockey – Craig Newitt
- Leading Apprentice Jockey – Scarlet So
- Owner Recognition Award- Ron Riley
- Welfare Award – Luella Meaburn
- Industry Appreciation Award – Kathy Hill
- Tasracing TV on-camera Performance Award – Troy Baker
- Apprentice School Encouragement Award – Brandon Louis
- TAN Recognition – David Adams