TASMANIA’S harness industry will honour its top achievers from last season at the annual Awards Dinner at Country Club Tasmania in Launceston on Saturday night.
Many of the awards to be presented are a foregone conclusion such as the leading driver and trainer awards in both sexes and even many of the horse awards should not surprise most, such as the two-year-old category winners and the three-year-old filly award.
Everyone has an opinion on who will be the Tasmanian Horse of the Year but those opinions are varied with up to five genuine chances to take out the top honour.
On prizemoney won, four-year-old and Raider Stakes winner Quastor Centurion topped the stake earnings with $57, 549 but he was hotly pressed by star mare Queen Of Fire ($57,347) with Our Sir Jeckyl next best with $53,429.
Not far away was Twilight Town with $52,847 and that included winning a consolation of the Breeders Crown series in Melbourne.
Beautide won $46,749 while his stablemate Benediction netted her connections $42,780.
Quastor Centurion won seven and was placed as many times from his 19 starts while Queen Of Fire earned her money from seven wins and six minor placings from 33 starts.
Our Sir Jeckyl had 24 starts for five wins and 10 minor placings with his wins coming in the Metropolitan Cup, Governor’s Cop and Cannonball Charge in Hobart as well as an open free-for-all in Launceston and the J. D. Watts Memorial Cup at Menangle in NSW.
Also to be presented on the night will be the Edgar Tatlow Medal that is presented to an individual for based on his or her service to the industry.
The inaugural Halwes Medal also will be presented on the night and this will go to the leading participant, much similar to the Vin Knight Medal in Victoria.
Halwes Medal votes were cast by a select judging panel on a 3-2-1 basis with the last eight rounds of voting blind to the public.
With eight rounds remaining very little separated Ricky Duggan, Gareth Rattray, Grant Hodges and Rohan Hillier.