Almost forty harness racing participants and contributors were honoured at the Four Seasons Sydney last Saturday night.
Major categories were NSW Harness Horse of the Year, champion NSW trainer and driver, champion metro trainer and driver with the coveted J.P. Stratton award going to Club Menangle Chairman Ray Sharman who has devoted 26 years to the club.
Ray’s services to Club Menangle and to the industry have been immeasurable.
This is the night when all sections of the NSW harness racing industry get together to honour the achievers of the season just gone.
Following is the complete list of award recipients courtesy HRNSW.
Tiger crowned the best yet again! For the second year in a row Tiger Tara has been crowned the Gallagher New South Wales Horse of the Year.
Receiving 100 per cent of the votes, Tiger Tara was handed the honour at the Harness Racing New South Wales Awards Night on Saturday.
Tiger Tara certainly had a year to remember on track taking out the Tabcorp Inter Dominion as well as the Hunter and Victoria Cups and pocketing $865,500 in prizemoney along the way.
The Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation responsible for Racing, the Hon Kevin Anderson was in attendance and presented Club Menangle Chairman Ray Sharman Australia’s highest harness racing award, the JP Stratton Award, for his 26 years of service on that Board.
Harness Racing NSW would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of tonight’s award winners.
Listed below are all of the 2018/19 award winners which were presented in front of a capacity crowd, hosted by Mark McNamara
Blake Fitzpatrick - Champion trainer of trotters 2018/2019
HORSE OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Arthur J. Gallagher NSW Horse of the Year: Tiger Tara
Club Menangle Two-Year-Old of the Year: Expensive Ego
Cockburn & Co NSW Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pacer of the Year: Expensive Ego
Cockburn & Co NSW Two-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year: Michelle Lee Mac
Cockburn & Co NSW Two-Year-Old Trotter of the Year: Playboy In Paris
Club Menangle NSW Three-Year-Old of the Year: Muscle Factory
Sydney Morning Herald NSW Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Pacer of the Year: Muscle Factory
Sydney Morning Herald NSW Three-Year-Old Filly Pacer of the Year: Miss Streisand
Sydney Morning Herald NSW 3YO Trotter of the Year: Caligula
Club Menangle NSW Aged Horse of the Year: Tiger Tara
KS Black & Co NSW Aged Entire/Gelding Pacer of the Year: Tiger Tara
KS Black & Co NSW Aged Mare Pacer of the Year: Major Occasion
KS Black & Co NSW Aged Trotter of the Year: Tough Monarch
Daily Form Service NSW Broodmare of the Year: Miss Brazillian
Daily Form Service NSW Sire of the Year: Million Dollar Cam
Kerry Ann Turner makes it 2 NSW training premierships "on the trot".
PARTICIPANT AWARDS
TAB Kevin Newman Award For Driving Excellence: Anthony Frisby
Lexus Of Parramatta Junior Trainer Encouragement Award: Brooke Wilkins
Lexus of Parramatta Junior Driver Encouragement Award: Joshua Gallagher
KARI Indigenous Participant of the Year: James Sutton
Garrards Horse & Hound NSW Leading Hobbyist Driver: Cassie Robinson
Garrards Horse & Hound NSW Leading Hobbyist Trainer: Wayne Sullivan
Garrards Horse & Hound NSW Leading Trotting Trainer and Driver: Blake Fitzpatrick
Garrards Horse & Hound NSW Champion Junior Driver: Cameron Hart
Garrards Horse & Hound NSW Champion Driver: Todd McCarthy
Garrards Horse & Hound NSW Champion Trainer: KerryAnn Turner
GHD NSW Owner of the Year: Greg and Mandy Targett
IntelliTek NSW Breeder of the Year: Greg and Mandy Targett
Harness Racing NSW Service to the Breeding Industry: Peter and Marie Neil
CLUB MENANGLE AWARDS
Lexus of Parramatta Medal: Lachie Manzelmann
Lexus of Parramatta Club Menangle First Lady Award: Gemma Rue
Lexus of Parramatta Club Menangle Metropolitan Driver: Todd McCarthy
Lexus of Parramatta Club Menangle Metropolitan Trainer: Shane and Lauren Tritton
Two more premierships for Todd McCarthy - Champion NSW and Metro driver for the season
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS
HRNSW Don Clough Award: Lorraine Pozza
HRNSW Industry Contribution Award: Jim Bell
HRNSW Club Volunteer Awards: Ann Brown (Tamworth HRC), Brian Hay (Wagga HRC), Jan Hay (Wagga HRC), Peter Jones (Eugowra HRC), Terry McMillen (Wagga HRC)
CARNIVAL OF CUPS AWARDS
Tabcorp Carnival of Cups Horse of the Series: Ned Pepper
Tabcorp Best Community Engagement Club: Coolamon HRC
Tabcorp Best Fraternity Engagement Club: Young HRC
Tabcorp Best Club with a feature race over $30,000: Eugowra HRC
Tabcorp Best Club with a feature race between $13,001 and $30,000: Temora HRC
Tabcorp Best Club with a feature race to a max of $13,000: Newcastle HRC
Cameron Hart - Champion NSW junior driver