2020 Victorian Aged Horse 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 open aged 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 - Northern Rivers Equine Veterinary Clinic and Total Equine Genetics - for their support in recognising this season’s babies.
2020 Northern Rivers Equine Aged Trotting Mare of the Year
In 2019-20, Muscle Hill mare Dance Craze added a staggering six group wins to her already impressive record, including the Group 1 Australasian Trotting Grand Prix at Melton, the Group 2 EB Cochrane Cup at Ballarat, and the race named after her legendary dam (and winner of the inaugural 2020 HRA Maori Miss Trotting Broodmare of the Year award), the Group 3 La Coocaracha FFA. From her 18 starts, she banked over $164,000 and clocked her fastest ever time of TR1:56.4.
2019-2020 was also the last season on the track for the valuable mare, retired in February 2021 to the breeding barn – with two winner-producing sisters and a brother at stud, we will watch the next step of her career with interest!
2020 Northern Rivers Equine Aged Pacing Mare of the Year
Another of the top-flight Lauriston Bloodstock mares, Speak No Evil dominated the season, adding the Group 1 Queen of the Pacific to her trophy cabinet, along with the Group 3 Angelique Club Pace and by just one placing, missing out on claiming the inaugural Elizabeth Clarke Mares Triple Crown at Melton. It’s no surprise she ranks as one of co-breeder Anne Anderson’s highlights – the daughter of Well Said recorded her fastest ever mile rate of 1:50.9 in the Ladyship Pace at Menangle, and overall banked almost $110,000 for the season. Unique to the harness code, she was also bred from in 2019 using embryo transfer, with a Captaintreacherous colt hitting the ground in early September, 2020.
“Top Tempo’s been a wonderful broodmare for us. Unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t know which, the fillies all take after their mum, so they can be difficult,” said Anne, “So full credit to Clayton and Emma for persevering with her. She’s a great filly on the racetrack, she’s all business.”
2020 Total Equine Genetics Aged Trotting Entire of the Year
Another of the outstanding Yabby Dam Farms products, Ready Cash trotter Always Ready had a stellar season, banking over $127,000 and stopping the clock at TR1:56 at Melton. He took two Group races – the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series 4YO Trotting Entires Final at Melton, and the Group 2 Breeders Crown 4YO Trotting Entires Championship – completing a record for the season of 15 starts for an incredible 11 wins. “Winning any race is special, but when they’ve got a Group 1 next to them it’s pretty cool,” said GR1 Vicbred driver Jason Lee.
2020 Total Equine Genetics Aged Pacing Entire of the Year
A Grand Circuit Chariots of Fire win was remarkably just the icing on the cake for Lochinvar Art’s 2019-20 racing season, with a further three Group 1 victories in his haul of 13 wins from 19 starts. The son of Modern Art claimed a Victorian treble of Group 1 wins – the Victoria Cup, the 4YO Bonanza and the Vicbred Super Series 4YO Pacing Entires Final – as well as the Group 3 Cobram Pacing Cup for member-breeder Daniel Cordina.
Amassing stakes in excess of $675,000 for the season and posting a best time of a sizzling 1:48.6, he was short odds to claim the Victorian Aged Pacing Entire of the Year, even against top class competitors like Hurricane Harley and Ride High.