2020 Victorian 3YOs of the Year
A key focus of our 2020 IRT Victorian Breeder Awards program are the championship awards. The full HBV committee of twelve cast votes for nominees from the 3YO Vicbred-eligible, member-bred racehorses to determine our winners in these categories. Committee members abstain from voting in any category where they have bred or own a nominee.
We thank our regular sponsors - Goodtime Lodge and Australian Pacing Gold - for their support in recognising this season’s babies.
2020 Goodtime Lodge Victorian 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year
Another 3YO trotter recording one of the top four new fastest sub-1:57 times this season was brilliant Quaker Jet filly, Im Ready Jet. Times aside, she replicated the feat of another of Yabby Dam’s outstanding race mares in claiming two Group 1 wins – the Breeders Crown 2YO Trotting Fillies Championship and the Need For Speed Princess Final. The filly also banked over $112,000 from her seven wins and two placings from a dozen starts across the season.
2020 Goodtime Lodge Victorian 3YO Pacing Filly of the Year
She was our 2018-19 Victorian 2YO Pacing Filly of the Year, and daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, MAAJIDA, has backed up this season to take the Victorian 3YO Pacing Filly of the Year for breeders, the Johnson family. Another cracking year for her resulted in the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series 3YO Pacing Fillies Final, the Group 3 Breeders Crown 3YO Pacing Fillies Silver Final, and placings in the GR1 NSW Oaks and the GR3 Make Mine Cullen. Amassing over $185,000 in stakes, MAAJIDA posted a personal best mile rate of 1:53.5 at Tabcorp Park Melton and overall posted a record of 15 starts for ten wins and two placings.
“Her record on paper is outstanding,” said GR1 Vicbred driver Greg Sugars on TrotsVision, “She just keeps winning, that’s all you can ask for.”
2020 Australian Pacing Gold Victorian 3YO Trotting Colt of the Year
With eight consecutive wins, it is no surprise to see Majestic Son gelding, Cover of Darkness, awarded the 2020 Victorian 3YO Trotting Colt of the Year. “He’s always given the feeling that he’s very, very strong,” said Jodi Quinlan after driving him in his Breeders Crown 3YO Trotting Colts Championship win, “Going forward he should keep getting better.”
The TR1:55.1 Cover Of Darkness recorded in the Wagon Apollo Trot at Bendigo was the fastest new sub-1:57 time for a trotter in 2019-20. It is fitting that this 3YO out of Illawong Moonshine has completed such a brilliant season in the year that the industry lost a giant of the Victorian industry and past Ian Daff Memorial winner (with wife Kaye) in Dr Martin Hartnett.
2020 Australian Pacing Gold Victorian 3YO Pacing Colt of the Year
A winner in half his starts for the season, and collecting over $94,000 in prizemoney, it was no surprise to see American Ideal’s Soho Hamilton take the 2020 Victorian 3YO Pacing Colt of the Year. One of seven winners out of multiple Pacing Broodmare of the Year and 100% producer, Pixel Perfect, Soho Hamilton banked over $94,000 for the season primarily from victories in the Group 2 Vicbred Platinum Home Grown 3YO Pacing Colts Classic, the Group 3 Warwick and the Group 3 Caduceus Club 3YO Cup.