For the second year running Black Caviar has been crowned Australian Racehorse of the Year
Unbeaten mare Black Caviar has maintained her official status as the nation’s best equine with a back-to-back sweep of the 2012 Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards.
She was tonight named both the Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year and Inglis
Bloodstock Champion Sprinter for the second year running at a national awards ceremony presented by Sky Racing World, Tabcorp and Staging Connections at Peninsula, Docklands in Melbourne.
Black Caviar, who stretched her unbeaten streak to 22 in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot in June, won all nine starts during the 2011-12 racing season including six at Group 1 level.
In a remarkable season, the five-year-old Peter Moody-trained mare also secured back-to-back wins in Australia’s two legs of the Global Sprint Challenge, the Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) and Coolmore Lightning Stakes (1000m), as well as stretching her dominance to 1400m in the Orr Stakes at Caulfield.
With votes lodged on a 3-2-1 basis by 86 members of the racing media and senior racing administrators nationwide, Black Caviar secured 257 of a maximum 258 votes in the Racehorse of the Year Award to comfortably defeat More Joyous (70), Atlantic Jewel (65), Pierro and Manighar (33 apiece).
The mares’ dominance also helped Moody secure a second consecutive win in the Champion Group 1 Trainer Award, leading all-comers with 10 elite level victories on Australian soil.
It was the third-consecutive year that a Moody-trained mare has been named Australian Racehorse of the Year, after the recently ill-fated Typhoon Tracy was honoured in 2010, and the sixth time in eight years that a mare has claimed racing’s highest honour.
"It's been a great thrill and we've had a marvellous time throughout the year and we owe it all to Black Caviar" part-owner Pam Hawkes said.
"The Lightning win was so breathtaking that I don't think I took a breath for the entire fifty-five seconds of the race".
The night was also one to remember for premier Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse with stable stars More Joyous and Pierro dominating their respective award categories. More Joyous was a runaway winner of the Monjon Australia Champion Middle Distance Award, while Pierro collected 256 of a maximum 258 votes to land the Eliza Park Champion Two-Year-Old title.
More Joyous, who amassed 221 votes to account for Black Caviar’s stablemate Manighar (141), won five feature races during the season, including the middle distance Group 1 treble of the Queen of the Turf, Doncaster Mile and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Pierro remained unbeaten throughout his juvenile season, collecting Sydney’s coveted Triple Crown, headlined by his win in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill in April.
With six Group 1 wins between the Waterhouse pair it was no surprise that their regular partner Nash Rawiller tonight collected the Champion Group 1 Jockey Award with a nation-high 11 wins.
And it was another unbeaten galloper who took the honours in the night’s most closely contested category, the New Zealand Bloodstock Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Award.
The Mark Kavanagh-trained Atlantic Jewel, who was successful in seven starts including two at Group 1 level, amassed 234 votes compared to Victorian rival Mosheen’s tally of 186.
Like Black Caviar, the recently retired Sepoy was recognised for a second year running. Last year’s Champion Two-Year-Old was tonight crowned the Michelton Champion Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding. ** The full list of award winners, including the voting breakdown for each category, is as follows;**
Sky Racing World Australian Racehorse of the Year – BLACK CAVIAR
* Black Caviar (257 votes), More Joyous (70), Atlantic Jewel (65), Pierro (33), Manighar (33), Mosheen (17), Dunaden (16), Hay List (9), Ortensia (7), Sepoy (3), Brungle Cry (2), Black And Bent (2), Americain (1), King Mufhasa (1)*
Eliza Park Champion Two-Year-Old – PIERRO
Pierro (256), Samaready (154), All Too Hard (47), Sizzling (32), Snitzerland (21), Driefontein (4), No Looking Back (2)
New Zealand Bloodstock Champion Three-Year-Old Filly – ATLANTIC JEWEL
Atlantic Jewel (234), Mosheen (186), Streama (52), Sea Siren (35), Invest (4), Pear Tart (3), Pop Culture (1), Quintessential (1)
Mitchelton Champion Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding – SEPOY
Sepoy (225), Helmet (88), Foxwedge (84), Manawanui (61), Ethiopia (25), Brambles (21), Sangster (6), Laser Hawk (5), Zabeelionaire (1)
Inglis Bloodstock Champion Sprinter – BLACK CAVIAR
Black Caviar (258), Hay List (131), Ortensia (33), Sepoy (30), Atlantic Jewel (27), Buffering (13), Foxwedge (8), Sea Siren (7), Rain Affair (5), Mid Summer Music (3), Temple Of Boom (1)
Monjon Australia Champion Middle Distance Award – MORE JOYOUS
More Joyous (221), Manighar (141), Atlantic Jewel (48), Mosheen (47), Pinker Pinker (35), King Mufhasa (11), Secret Admirer (5), Luckygray (3), Shoot Out (2), Streama (2), Metal Bender (1)
New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing Champion Stayer – DUNADEN
Dunaden (228), Manighar (117), Americain (65), Southern Speed (62), Mosheen (25), Niwot (10), Drunken Sailor (3), Ethiopia (3), Lights Of Heaven (2), Brambles (1)
Staging Connections Champion Jumper – BASHBOY
Bashboy (115), Black And Bent (64), Awakening Dream (29), Brungle Cry (28), Megapixel (22),Tobouggie Nights (8), Gotta Take Care (6), Dubhdara (1), Fareer (1), Kirribilli Gold (1), Zaman (1)
Stable Connect Champion Sire – Fastnet Rock Champion Group 1 Trainer Award – Peter Moody Champion Group 1 Jockey Award – Nash Rawiller
Notes
*Voting for the equine awards is based on performances anywhere in Australia during the racing season (1 August – 31 July) and on international performances by Australian-trained horses. An Australian-trained horse is defined as a horse trained by a trainer licensed in Australia and who has a permanent training base in any state or territory of Australia. Under the conditions, Black Caviar and Ortensia have been judged on both their Australian and international performances during the 2011-12 racing season only.
The Champion Sprinter Award is based only on performances of horses in races of up to and including 1400 metres.
The Champion Middle Distance Award is based only on performances of horses in races between 1401 metres and 2199 metres.
The Champion Stayer Award is based only on performances of horses in races of 2200 metres and longer.
The Champion Jumper Award takes into account performances between 1 March 2012 and 25 August 2012 only. Victorian and South Australian racing media and senior administrators were exclusively invited to vote on this award. A total of 46 lodged their votes.
The Group 1 trainer and jockey awards take into account performances on Australian tracks only during the 2011-12 racing season (1 August – 31 July).*
