Champion trainer Chris Waller secured his 13th Bart Cummings Medal in a nail-biting conclusion at Thursday’s Racing’s Night of Champions Awards at Royal Randwick.
Waller amassed 75 points, narrowly holding off leading jockey James McDonald, who finished just one point behind with 74.
Waller, who had previously won 12 consecutive Bart Cummings Medals, was dethroned last year by champion apprentice Zac Lloyd, who this year placed seventh with 45 points.
McDonald made a strong push, earning six points on the final two Saturdays of the season but fell just short of claiming his first Bart Cummings Medal.
“Congratulations to Chris Waller and his highly professional team for taking out another Bart Cummings Medal and a 14th successive Sydney trainers’ premiership,” said Racing NSW Chief Executive, Peter V’landys AM.
“Chris Waller’s incredible achievements are celebrated not just in horse racing but across the sports world, showcasing our state’s racing to both Australia and the international stage.”
The Bart Cummings Medal, named in honour of the legendary trainer who passed away nine years ago, is awarded based on votes from seven leading Sydney racing journalists.
In addition to the Bart Cummings Medal, Waller claimed his 14th consecutive T.J. Smith Award for winning the Sydney Trainers’ Premiership with 148 wins for the season, ahead of co-trainers Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott with 88.5 wins and Ciaron Maher with 62.
James McDonald took home his eighth George Moore Award for winning the Sydney Jockeys’ Premiership with 90 wins, narrowly beating Nash Rawiller, who had 81. McDonald had previously won the premiership in 2013/14 (72 wins), 2015/16 (89.5), 2018/19 (104), 2019/20 (103.5), 2020/21 (131), 2021/22 (105), and 2022/23 (96).
Zac Lloyd also shone, claiming his second Theo Green Award as Sydney’s leading apprentice with 60.5 wins, ahead of runner-up Dylan Gibbons, who had 36 wins and is now a fully-fledged jockey.
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