Source: Punters.com by, Clinton Payne
Verry Elleegant stole the show at the NSW Racehorse Owners Association (NSWROA) ‘Best of the Best’ racing awards for the 2020/21 racing season.
With the NSWROA unable to hold their annual Racing’s Night of Champions to present their awards – this year’s winners were announced during the Australian Turf Club’s Rosehill meeting at Kembla Grange.
“We were delighted to collaborate with the ATC in announcing our winners on what was not only San Domenico Stakes Day, but also their Owners Celebration Day,” said NSWROA President Tony Mitevski.
“With most of the owners of our finalists in lockdown, having the winners announced via social media and mentioned on SKY during the ATC’s race day was a perfect solution and we are very grateful for their support.”
Verry Elleegant had a memorable 2020/21 season winning five of her nine starts, with all of her wins coming at Group 1 level during her five-year-old season.
The Kiwi-bred daughter of unfashionable stallion Zed won from 1400m up to 2400m at weight-for-age, handicap and under set weights and penalties conditions.
Her biggest win came in the Caulfield Cup while she also claimed victories in the Ranvet Stakes, Turnbull Stakes, Chipping Norton Stakes and Winx Stakes.
Racing’s current superstar was crowned NSW Horse of the Year, New Zealand Bloodstock Champion Middle Distance Horse and Gow-Gates Champion Stayer Award.
Waller-trained gallopers won another two awards with star sprinter Nature Strip taking home the Champion Sprinter of the Year Award for his wins in the TJ Smith Stakes and the Lightning Stakes while Hungry Heart won the Queen of the Autumn award.
The Queen of the Autumn is judged by the Australian Turf Club and presented to the best performed female across the Sydney carnival in fillies and mares’ races.
It is sponsored by the NSW Trainers’ Association and this year dedicated to the late Rick Worthington, the Warwick Farm-based trainer and NSWTA Board member.
Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside, trained by Michael and Richard Freedman, took home the Arrowfield Stud Champion 2YO Award while the Hawkes Racing colt Ole Kirk claimed the Inglis Champion Three-Year-Old Award for his Group 1 successes in the Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas.
The James Cummings-trained Godolphin import Cascadian took home the Wild Oaks Champion Miler of the Year for his win in the Doncaster Mile while Kerry Parker’s Think It Over win Vinery Champion Provincial Horse and undefeated mare It’s Me, trained by Brett Cavanough took home the Gow-Gates Champion Country Horse award.
My thanks to our wonderful sponsors, congratulations to all winners and let’s hope that we can celebrate on Racing’s Night of Champions next year,” Mitevski said
