While Mont Denver Gold missed out on 2003 Australian Horse of the Year honours, it took a reigning Grand Circuit champion (Double Identity) to defeat him in the voting for the coveted title. When it came to his State equivalent, however, his connections did not go away empty handed, with Mont Denver Gold being named the 2002-03 Victorian Horse of the Year.
The winner of almost $350,000 (Australian prizemoney) during the season, Mont Denver Gold defeated fellow open class pacing star Sokyola and gun three-year-old trotter Kyvalley Road in securing the State title, scoring 19 of the 28 votes lodged by representatives of the media.
Trained by horseman Barry Alford and driven by his son Chris Alford, Mont Denver Gold is owned by Jason and Narelle Kennedy, along with Romeo Montebruno. The Kennedys also bred the talented entire, who is by Classic Garry from Promises.
After starting the season as a metropolitan maiden, Mont Denver Gold went on to collect seven wins and eight placings from 17 starts, and finished the season as the second highest Australian prizemoney earner. His best performances included victory in the $400,000 A G Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley, and second place (behind Baltic Eagle) in the 2003 Inter Dominion Final in New Zealand. He also placed in the Victoria, Ballarat, and Shepparton Cups.
After his fairytale rise to the top, and having faced a steep learning curve in the process, Mont Denver Gold is expected to make his presence felt at the highest level again this season. Check out AHRC On-Line to see how he's faring against the big guns.
