Best of Victoria’s Breeding Industry Recognised

The 2019-2020 season was one like no other, for many reasons, and so it seemed apt that the presentation of awards to recognise the achievements of breeders should be a little different in 2021 too. Aiming for a safer approach, Harness Breeders Victoria have undertaken an online program of award announcements, featuring nominees in the week leading up to the Nutrien Yearling Sales, and completing the fortnight schedule with naming of winners for the 2019-2020 season.

The most prominent of the Victorian Breeder Awards was the Victorian Breeder of the Year, sponsored by Woodlands Stud and presented to winner, Pat Driscoll of Yabby Dam Farms (left), at the opening of the first session of the sales at Oaklands Junction.

The 2019-20 season saw Pat and Yabby Dams produce winners including the star trotting performers Don’t Care, Im Ready Jet, Always Ready and Dance Craze, all of whom were nominated for and won their respective Victorian Breeding Championship categories.

The farm was recognised with the inaugural Maori Miss Award when La Coocaracha was named Australian Trotting Broodmare of the Year by Harness Racing Australia, while three of Pat’s mares were nominees in our own Niota Victorian Trotting Broodmare of the Year - La Coocaracha, Class of Her Own, and ultimate winner, Im Ready Set.

Additionally, Quaker Jet, Love You and Used To Me have all finished the season in the top three 2YO & 3YO Trotting Sires (sponsored by Haras des Trotteurs), and Im Ready Jet recorded one of the top four Aldebaran Time Excellence trotting mile rates, coming in under TR1:57 for the first time this season (TR1:55.6). A truly remarkable season for a breeder by any standard.

Runner-up Victorian Breeder of the Year, Lauriston Bloodstock (right), collected the trophy for Benstud Standardbreds Victorian Pacing Broodmare of the Year for the Western Terror mare, Kabbalah Karen  B, dam of season winners, Ladies In Red (also the Minitube 2020 Victorian 2YO Pacing Filly of the Year), Kasbah Kid and Beautiful Woman. Collectively her progeny earnt over $368,000 from their 39 starts which resulted in 18 wins.

The Galloway family, represented by Alan Galloway Jnr (below) of Alabar Farms, had their tenured service to the Victorian Breeding Industry recognised with the 2020 Metro Print Ian Daff Memorial Award. The family and indeed Alabar have been synonymous with harness racing for over 60 years and as well as supporting the industry through sponsorships and committee roles, the Galloways are responsible for developing international bloodlines in Australia, including Kentucky, Windshield Wiper, Safely Kept and Art Major. They continue this commitment in contemporary times and HBV were pleased to honour them with this special award in 2020.

The outstanding performances of Victorian juvenile sires across 2019-2020 were acknowledged by Haras des Trotteurs and The Storm Inside at Alabar, using a crop-to-winner strike rate. This resulted in the Empire Stallions’ pacing sires Captaintreacherous (43% for 2YOs) and Somebeachsomewhere (57%) taking the trophies in their respective categories, and similarly, Haras des Trotteurs sires Used To Me (20% for 2YOs) and Quaker Jet (41% for 3YOs) for the trotting gait.

In addition to those mentioned above, championship trophies for 2019-2020 were awarded to Act Now (Renown Silverware 2YO Pacing Colt, Bruce & Vicki Edward of Durham Park), Bangles (Minitube 2YO Trotting Filly, Dean & Blanche Poole of Rhiannon Park), Soho Hamilton (APG 3YO Pacing Colt, Robert Watson of Soho Standardbreds), Cover of Darkness (3YO Trotting Colt, Kaye and the late Dr Martin Hartnett), Maajida (Goodtime Lodge 3YO Pacing Filly, the Johnson family of Atworthy Park and backing up from taking the 2YO Pacing Filly in 2019), Lochinvar Art (Total Equine Genetics Aged Pacing Entire, Daniel Cordina), and Speak No Evil (Northern Rivers Equine Aged Pacing Mare, Bill & Anne Anderson of Lauriston Bloodstock).

Breeders were again recognised for excellence in breeding saleable stock, with Benstud Standardbreds collecting a trophy for their $120,000 Captaintreacherous x Eye Catching colt who brought $120,000 at the 2020 APG Melbourne sale, and jointly, Neville Pangrazio (Muscle Hill x Maori Sunshine colt) and Chris Jnr & Haley Lang (Father Patrick x Shes An Image colt), who both brought $55,000 at the 2020 APTS sale.

Aldebaran Park time excellence pins were awarded to horses who gained a new fastest sub-1:55 or TR1:57 time across the season, with John Campbell’s Boxofchocolates (1:51.5) and the Hartnett’s Cover of Darkness (TR1:55.1) the top of the tree in their respective gaits.

Major race wins were also recognised by HBV with thanks to Nutrien and TrotsVision, with plaques presented to breeders of open Group 1 races and Vicbred Group 1 races across the season.

Harness Breeders Victoria would like to congratulate all breeders on managing what was a challenging season in many ways and particularly these breeders who continue to represent the industry at arguably the highest standard in the country with their breeding programs. Thanks, as always, must also go to sponsors of the IRT Victorian Breeder Awards program and for having confidence in the slightly new presentation format in 2021.

Full articles on all winners and video packages for nominees can be found in earlier news articles.