J.D. Watts Award Winners Announced

23 September 2020
Logo

Harness Racing Australia is pleased to announce the J.D. Watts Awards to our sports highest performers for the 2019/20 season.

Named after legendary trainer J.D. (Jack) Watts, who trained and drove winners in all states of Australia and New Zealand in a fifty year career, the awards celebrate the nations leading driver and trainer.

2019/2020 Australian Driver of the Year

CHRIS ALFORD

Chris Alford of Victoria was again Australia’s leading driver with 283 wins Australia wide for the 2019/2020 season. This is Chris’ 14th national title, his first being 26 years ago in 1994. He also took national honours in 2016 – 2019, 2012 – 2014 and 1996 – 1999.

2019/20 Australian Trainer of the Year

GRANT DIXON

Grant Dixon of Queensland was Australia’s leading trainer with 290 wins during the season. This is Grant’s 8th J.D. Watts Award and second in succession. Grant was also the leading trainer from 2012 to 2017.

Remarkably, Grant’s title makes it 12 national titles from the last 13 seasons for the Dixon family, with Grant’s late father Bill the leading Australian trainer from 2008 – 2011.

The Members of Harness Racing Australia congratulate Chris and Grant on their outstanding achievements.

 

Related News

29 March 2024
Gibson family honoured in more ways than one at Bathurst Carnival
SINCE the inception of the Bathurst Gold Crown in 1987, the Gibson family and their Success Stud have positively contributed to shaping the hugely-successful juvenile carnival. Originally based in Queensland before relocating to the idyllic Young region, the late John Gibson initially operated Success...
29 March 2024
Group 1 mares add star power to Riverina Championships
Four Group 1 winning mares - including two currently considered to be among the nation’s best - will clash in an intriguing battle at the Riverina Championships finals program at Wagga on Sunday. The meeting features two $100,000 finals for four and five year-old pacers - one each for the boys...
29 March 2024
Ford looking for Gold on Good Friday
The combined harness and greyhound meeting on Good Friday night in Hobart is fast becoming a Tassie racing tradition, and it’s back again with eight greyhound races and six harness events making up this year’s 14-race program. Driver Dylan Ford will be out to continue his excellent start...
28 March 2024
New HRV chair Adam Kilgour on challenges, opportunities
Newly appointed Harness Racing Victoria chair Adam Kilgour says his passion for a challenge and the people in racing drives his desire to strengthen the industry. Kilgour was yesterday announced to replace Dale Monteith as the head of the board, on which he has served since 2018, and said he was eager...
28 March 2024
La sun of a gun emerges as Blackbook zeros in on breeding line
La Machane won 20 of her 61 starts and more than $330,000 for connections in Ross and Greg Sugars' care and the mare's making just as big an impression in the breeding barn. Having given us La Puddie ($137,179) and La Captain ($182,020), the Bettors Delight mare has another nice type in Benbullan, who...
Click for more