Three Harnessed To Horse Of Year Prize

Newcastle Herald

Thursday September 4, 2008

By JOHN GILMOUR

THE Newcastle Harness Horse of the Year has developed into a three-way race.

Comet Prince, Second Dollar and Special Albert have emerged as the leading contenders for the title, to be announced at the Caduceus Club lunch at Newcastle International Paceway on Tuesday.

Comet Prince, which is trained at Sawyers Gully by Allan Harmey, finished the season with 14 wins and four placings from 21 starts, including victories in each of his first seven runs back when racing resumed in December after equine influenza.

He also won five straight in April and May, but his best victory was his most recent success in the final of the Live Or Die series at Harold Park on August 1.

Second Dollar, which was also a leading contender for the title last season, is prepared at Louth Park by Brian Elder and made a belated start to the season with a first-up win at Harold Park on May 9.

She raced only 10 times during the season for three wins and one placing, but the majority of those runs were against quality opposition and all three victories were in metropolitan-class races at Harold Park.

Special Albert, prepared at Somersby by Bill Dawson, also had an outstanding season which reaped nine wins and three seconds from 16 starts, including five straight at the beginning of the season.

Also on Tuesday, Clayton Harmey will be presented with his first Caduceus Club drivers premiership and Michael Formosa will be presented with his third successive trainers trophy.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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