Im Victorious - 2014 WA Harness Horse of the Year
At a special function held at the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club this afternoon, Im Victorious was announced as Western Australia’s Harness Horse of the Year for 2014.
Just a week after returning to his Pinjarra home, following his at times traumatic recovery from life-threatening injuries sustained in the 2014 Inter Dominion final at Menangle, Im Victorious capped a remarkable career with an honour so richly deserved.
During the 2013/14 season Im Victorious won seven of his twelve starts picking up stakes of $351,225 on the back of wins in the Group One Fremantle Pacing Cup, the Group Two Inter Dominion heat at Gloucester Park and Group Three wins in the GPHR Members Sprint, JP Stratton Cup and Village Kid Sprint.
Trained by Michael Brennan and driven by Justin Prentice and Gary Hall Jnr, Im Victorious took the honour from fellow finalists Im Themightyquinn, David Hercules and Hokonui Ben.
Brennan, a Gold Medallist with the Kookaburras at the 2004 Athens Olympics, completed a four-day float trip from New South Wales with Im Victorious last Sunday.
“He means everything to me”, Brennan said, “We went through a tough three or four days when it happened and it’s been a long six months to get him home.”
The other awards presented this afternoon were:
2 YO Filly of the Year Award - Tricky Styx won five of her nine starts for Northam trainer Jesse Moore including the Group One Diamond Classic and Group Two Champagne Classic and won stakes of $110,435 which was a good return on her $5000 purchase price at the 2013 New Zealand Premier Yearling Sale
2YO Colt or Gelding of the Year Award - Isaiah Artois won five of his ten starts for Byford trainer David Thompson for stakes of $90,818. The son of Modern Art’s biggest win came in the Group One Pearl Classic
3YO Filly of the Year - Libertybelle Midfrew won six of her seven WA starts for $143,340 in stakes for Hazelmere trainer Mike Reed after being bought for a high price from New Zealand. Her biggest win came in the Group One WA Oaks.
3YO Colt or Gelding of the Year - Elegant Christian won four of his six starts for the season including victories in the Group Two Western Gateway Pace and Group Three Caduceus Club Classic for trainer Gary Hall. On the back of those wins he started favourite in the WA Derby but was forced to race outside eventual winner Three Blind Mice before finishing fourth.
Aged Mare of the Year Award – Leda McNally won seven of her 24 starts for the season including the Group One Mares Classic and Group Two Norms Daughter Classic and a further five metro class races with season’s earnings of $182,220 for Pinjarra trainer Chris King.
Leading State Driver Award - Gary Hall Jnr drove 170 winners for the season with stakes earnings of $2,088,990 with his biggest wins coming behind Im Themightyquinn in the Group One Blacks A Fake in Queensland and the Group One Golden Slipper Stakes with Beaudiene Boaz
Leading State Trainer Award - Gary Hall Snr became the first Western Australian trainer to pass 200 winners in a season with a total of 214 winners of $3,138,183 including a record eighth Group One WA Pacing Cup with Hokonui Ben and the Group One Blacks A Fake in Queensland with Im Themightyquinn
Youth Achievement Award - Matt Young was recognised for his achievements as the State’s youngest race-caller. Matt cut his teeth race-calling as a five-year-old using Matchbox cars on a racetrack mat before graduating to calling trials at Pinjarra as a nine-year-old and Non-TAB meetings on country tracks as a fifteen-year-old. Matt, now 23, began work at Racing Radio on the same day that he graduated from Pinjarra High School and in addition to his studio work has now called all three racing codes across the State including Sky Channel meetings.
Garrard’s Junior Concession Driver Challenge Award - Kristy Sheehy amassed 60 points across the nine heats and three finals of the Garrard’s Junior Concession Drivers Challenge to nose out Stuart McDonald who finished second with 59 points and Tom Buchanan and Cody Wallrodt tied for third on 57 points. Kristy is a daughter of Tommy Sheehy, who represented WA in the 1990 Australian Young Drivers Championship, and a grand-daughter of Carol Sheehy who trained Concord Crossing to win the Group Two Champagne Stakes in 1978.
