Champ Goes Back To Back

29 October 2005
Logo

Champion pacer Sokyola has tonight (Saturday) been crowned Victorian Horse of the Year for the second consecutive season.

 

The crowd favourite (pictured) joins Inter Dominion winners Gammalite (1982/1984) and Shakamaker (2000/2001) as the only dual winners of the state’s highest equine honour.

 

Under the guidance of trainer-driver Lance Justice, the Colin Croft-owned pacer amassed 14 wins and a nation high $771,594 in stakes from 20 appearances in the 2004/05 season.

 

A winner on both sides of the Tasman, the then eight-year-old capped a memorable season with back-to-back victories in the nation’s premier sprint race, the SEW-Eurodrive Miracle Mile at Harold Park.

 

In a season littered with highlights his other crowing moments were a comfortable hometown victory in the SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup and an historic third consecutive Mildura Pacing Cup.

 

With the state’s leading media representatives voting on the award, Sokyola garnered 23 of the 24 votes on offer, with Kiwi champion Elsu netting a vote for his stunning Hankook Tyres Hunter Cup victory.

 

For the first time in history, state titles were also awarded in the two and three-year-old categories together with the Victorian Trotter of the Year.

 

Tough-as-nails juvenile Jadah Rose capped her rags-to-riches fairytale when she was crowned Victorian 2YO Filly of the Year.

 

Purchased for just $3600 by Rochester hobby trainer Mark Thompson, she faced the starter 12 times in her debut season for a staggering 10 wins and over $120,000 in stakes.

 

Her crowning moment was victory in the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series Final at Moonee Valley on July 8.

 

The honor of Victorian 2YO Colt or Gelding of the Year was bestowed upon Hei Shangri La who was clearly the state’s elite juvenile despite a rollercoaster season.

 

Shock defeats when favorite in the Australian Pacing Gold and Tatlow Finals made his Group 1 Vicbred Super Series Final victory all the more sweeter for the Arneill and Gamble families who race the exciting young under the banner of Ladyship Lodge.

 

Trained by Ross Payne and driven by the ex-Kiwi in conjunction with Chris Alford, Hei Shangri La raced 14 times in his freshman year for eight wins, three placings and $136,000 in stakes.

 

Innocent Eyes may have started off the 2004-05 season a Western Australian, but she finished it off as a darling of Victorian punters.

 

The Bryan Cousins-bred and owned pacer was voted the inaugural Victorian 3YO Filly of the Year courtesy of a purple patch of form throughout winter.

 

Under the guidance of legendary father-and-son combination Graeme and Gavin Lang the previously unheralded filly became just the sixth horse to claim the prized Nevele R Stud Victoria and Australian Oaks.

 

In total the daughter of Safely Kept started six times in Victoria for as many wins and netted stake earnings in excess of $100,000 in the process.

 

In the most hotly contested division, Emmas Only was named Victorian 3YO Colt or Gelding of the Year.

 

Bred and raced by Alan and Genelle Butler, the son of Presidential Ball joined the sport’s oldest and most prestigious honor roll when he triumphed in the 2005 Alabar Victoria Derby.

 

Before injury ended his three-year-old career prematurely, the Andy Gath-trained pacer had won half of his eight starts and had also finished third in the Group 1 Australian Derby.

 

A Great Western-trained horse took top honors in the Victorian Trotter of the Year award.

 

Seven-year-old Sammy Do Good was transferred into the stables of Peter Manning by owner Greg Clark in October, kick starting a profitable partnership for the duo.

 

The Samadhi gelding went on to become one of only four Australian trotters to top $100,000 in earnings for the 2004/05 season.

 

A maiden Group 1 victory in the Bill Collins Mile headlined a feature race haul which also included the South Australian, Chris Howe, Cranbourne and Kilmore Trotters’ Cups.

 

 

Related News

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...
28 March 2024
Jack ready to show off the next generation of stars at Bathurst
Nathan Jack has his next generation of stars ready to lead a northern assault on Bathurst's two-year-old Group 1s Saturday night, eager to emulate the stable's 2023 success.
28 March 2024
Steve Cleave's Little Black Book $200 game plans for Melton
Steve Cleave has looked through his Little Black Book to produce a $200 game plan for Easter Saturday night at Melton Entertainment Park.
28 March 2024
Jase and Snooze join Ryan for Burning Questions
Chris Svanosio and Jason Lee join Ryan Phelan to look ahead to a fantastic night of Easter Saturday racing from Melton Entertainment Park.
Click for more