Gai's Horse Of Year Trialling For Return To Racing

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday August 15, 2008

John Schell

FRESH from being crowned Horse of the Year at Thursday night's NSW Racehorse Owners Association awards, Gai Waterhouse's group 1-winning mare Tuesday Joy steps out on the trial track at Warwick Farm on Friday as a return to racing looms.

Tuesday Joy gained the nod as champion horse in NSW on the back of wins in the Ranvet Stakes and The BMW in the autumn when partnered by top jockey Darren Beadman.

Waterhouse also secured the title of champion two-year-old with Sebring, out of action this spring due to a slight injury. Her top youngster won the Golden Slipper and AJC Sires' Produce Stakes only to be beaten narrowly by Samantha Miss in its bid to claim the triple crown in the Champagne Stakes.

That win by Samantha Miss at group 1 level paved the way for the Kris Lees-trained filly to be named as the provincial-trained horse of the year.

Joe Janiak's seasoned star, former world champion sprinter Takeover Target, maintained his hold on the country-trained horse of the year on the back of another fruitful season that included an international group 1 win in Singapore before being placed in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Master trainer Bart Cummings got in on the act when his stayer Sirmione was announced as a controversial winner of the middle-distance award on the strength of victories in the Mackinnon Stakes and Australian Cup, both in Melbourne.

In two clashes with Tuesday Joy last season, Sirmione was soundly beaten out of a placing in the Ranvet but improved to run third behind that mare in The BMW.

Sydney Cup winner No Wine No Song was the dominant NSW-trained stayer of last season and was rewarded with that crown, and Heavenly Glow, which emerged from the country stable of trainer Ross Stitt to become a dual group 1 winner when in the care of Allan Denham, gained the three-year-old of the year honours.

As for Tuesday Joy, Waterhouse's racing manager, Robyn Hartney, said the mare was set to resume in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield in two weeks, and the John O'Shea-trained Racing To Win, which was named sprinter/miler of the year, will resume in Saturday week's Warwick Stakes at Warwick Farm.

Hartney said a rider for Tuesday Joy in the Memsie would be decided by this weekend. Blake Shinn or Nash Rawiller will ride the five-year-old in Friday's trial.

Shinn won the George Moore Award as Sydney's leading rider and Waterhouse won the T J Smith Award for winning the metropolitan premiership. Leading apprentice Peter Wells won the Theo Green Award.

Top-class mare Gold Edition, which was retired from racing after a fourth in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington earlier this year, has been named Queensland horse of the year. Liam Birchley won the Jim Atkins trainer of the year gong.

THE WINNERS

NSWROA awards

Horse of the year - Tuesday Joy

2YO - Sebring

3YO - Heavenly Glow

Sprinter/miler - Racing To Win

Middle-distance - Sirmione

Stayer - No Wine No Song

Country-trained champion - Takeover Target

Provincial-trained champion - Samantha Miss

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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