Victoria’s premier horseperson will be honoured at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium tonight when the winner of the 2005 Harness Racing Weekly Vin Knight Medal is announced.
Now in its eighth year, the Medal recognises excellence in horsemanship at Victoria’s premier harness racing meetings and is open to both trainers and drivers.
When voting went in-camera at the end of May, six-time Australian driving champion Chris Alford led the race to claim his first Medal.
The Bolinda horseman, who became the youngest person to pilot 3000 career winners on August 29, topped the voting with 58 at the three-quarter mark.
Great Western superstar Kerryn Manning (Gath), a back-to-back winner of the Medal in 2000 and 2001, was in hot pursuit on 52 votes, with former SA and now Melton-based trainer-driver Lance Justice in third on 41 votes.
Despite trailing, Manning is favoured to capture her third Medal after piloting 16 winners at Moonee Valley over the final three months of the season, including two trebles and a double.
Whilst Alford only visited the Moonee Valley winners circle on nine occasions during that period, he is poised to end the count with maximum votes having driven three winners and prepared Mister Tuberts to win The Graduate at headquarters on August 26.
Rounding out the top five were Avenel trainer-driver David Aiken on 37 and popular Bendigo mentor Glenn Douglas on 33.
Other past winners of the Medal are Brian Gath (1998), Peter Manning (1999), John Justice (2002), Gavin Lang (2003 & 2004).
Also to be presented tonight are the awards for the Most Improved Driver ($1500), Most Improved Trainer ($1500) and Best Volunteer ($1000), all of which are sponsored by Garry Rogers Nissan.
The Victorian Young Achiever Of The Year will also pocket $2000 tonight, courtesy of prominent owner and sponsor Terry Henderson.
