Just a day after officially retiring, superstar trotter Sundees Son has been crowned harness racing’s Horse of the Year.
The winner of 34 races and over $1.4m, Sundees Son’s racing career is over after X rays and a scan showed some bone bruising. He leaves the sport as one of its greats.
Yesterday’s announcement that the eight-year-old has run his last race made winning tonight’s award all the more poignant for owners Colin and Nancy Hair.
Sundees Son becomes the first trotter to win the Horse of the Year title two years in a row. The only other horses (all pacers) to have gone back-to- back this century are Lazarus, Terror To Love, Auckland Reactor and Elsu.
In 2022 Sundees Son had nine wins from 14 starts, including four Group 1s, winning Trotter of the Year and then taking out the ultimate prize ahead of Self Assured, who was voted Pacer of the Year.
Sundees Son’s greatest achievement last year was his third consecutive win in the Group 1 Dominion Trot where he had a stirring battle with arch rival Muscle Mountain, before winning by a head. It was a classic duel, good enough to be voted the “Best Moment of the Year”.
During 2022 Sundees Son also became a million-dollar earner, becoming the 11th Australasian-bred trotter to do so. He’s the first to do that without ever racing outside New Zealand. Currently his stakes earnings stand at $1,401,248.
Self Assured took the top pacing gong after a 2022 that saw him win eight of 17 starts and amass $912,975 in stakes. Included in his victories were two Group 1s – the New Zealand Pacing Free For All and the Auckland Cup. He also won Australasia’s first ever harness slot race, The Race by Grins, at Cambridge in April.
The annual Harness Racing New Zealand awards were held at Addington Raceway in Christchurch tonight. Nearly 300 of the sport’s highest achievers, including drivers, trainers, owners, and breeders, were at the function MC’d by Box Seat host and well-known racing identity Greg O’Connor and Trackside presenter Nicole Sims.
Zachary Butcher was the winner of the Gavelhouse Newcomer to Training award after training seven winners in 2022. To be eligible for this award trainers must have been licenced for no more than five years. His flagship horses were the Group 3-placed Call Me Trouble and Zarias.
Penny Boyle, who works for Michael House, was the winner of the inaugural Future Wealth Stablehand of the Year. In his nomination House said “there’s simply no other person employed in harness racing in New Zealand that can match her skill, dedication, enthusiasm, loyalty and stamina.”
Luk Chin, Andrew McKerrow and Tony Thomas were also recognised for their contributions to the sport in the new Cup Industry Golf Unsung Heroes awards.
Dr Chin has been involved in the sport for over four decades and, at age 80, still works full-time as a medical professional. He is the first person in this country to breed, own, train and drive 100 winners. McKerrow is a racetrack support chaplain employed by the Salvation Army, who helps hundreds of drivers, trainers and other participants every year, while Tony Thomas has dedicated much of his life to harness racing as a trainer and administrator in the top half of the South Island.
John Denton was recognised for his work as HRNZ’s Track and Venues Inspector with an Excellence Award. He is also Addington Raceway’s Property and Facilities Manager.
The complete list of awards is as follows :
2YO Awards :
Emblems NZ 2YO Trotting Filly of the Year – High Energy
Philip and Glenys Kennard 2YO Pacing Filly of the Year – Millwood Nike
www.hrnz.co.nz 2YO Trotting Colt/Gelding of the Year – Confessional
Tyre General 2YO Pacing Colt/Gelding of the Year – Don’t Stop Dreaming
3YO Awards :
The Commodore 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year – Con Grazia Love
The Vincent (AUS) 3YO Pacing Filly of the Year – True Fantasy
The Dunstan Horse Feeds 3YO Trotting Colt/Gelding of the Year – Highgrove
Renwick Farms 3YO Pacing Colt/Gelding of the Year – Akuta
4YO Awards :
Garrards Horse and Hound 4YO Trotting Mare of the Year – Resolve
Breckon Farms 4YO Pacing Mare of the Year – Allamericanlover
Team Teal 4YO Trotting Entire/Gelding of the Year – Five Wise Men
Brandwear 4YO Pacing Entire/Gelding of the Year – B D Joe
5YO Awards :
What The Hill 5YO and Older Trotting Mare of the Year – Gold Chain
Blue September 5YO and Older Trotting Entire/Gelding of the Year – Need You Now
Hotel Montreal 5YO and Older Trotting Entire/Gelding of the Year – Sundees Son
Woodlands Stud 5YO and Older Pacing Entire/Gelding of the Year – Self Assured
Breeding Awards :
The Breeders Trotting Broodmare of the Year – Habibti
The Breeders Pacing Broodmare of the Year – Lively Nights
The Breeders Breeder of the Year – Lex Williams, Estate Heather Williams
The Majestic Horse Floats Trotting Stallion of the year – Muscle Hill
The Auckland Trotting Club Stallion of the Year – Bettor’s Delight
Other awards :
SENZ Leading Driver – Blair Orange
Harnesslink Leading Trainer – Steve and Amanda Telfer
Cruickshank Family Leading UDR Junior Driver – Olivia Thornley
Southern Harness Leading Junior Driver – Sarah O’Reilly
Gavelhouse Newcomer to Training Award – Zachary Butcher
Future Wealth Stablehand of the Year – Penny Boyle
Stevie Golding at Harcourts Best Moment of the Year Award – Sundees Son winning the 2022 Dominion Trot
HERO Outstanding Contribution to Life After Racing Award – Stable to Stirrup
SENZ Cadet of the Year – Thomas Bamford, runner-up Carter Dalgety
Addington Raceway Owner of the Year – Jean Feiss
Cup Industry Golf Unsung Heroes – Luk Chin, Tony Thomas and Andrew McKerrow
Service and Expertise Excellence Award – John Denton
Diamond Racing Pacer of the Year – Self Assured
IRT Trotter of the Year – Sundees Son
NZB Airfreight Horse of the Year – Sundees Son
