Nominations in the four equine categories of the 2023 Top End Racing Awards have been announced.
The winners, as well as the Horse of the Year, will be revealed at a presentation ceremony at the Darwin Turf Club on Friday, September 15.
The night will celebrate excellence in the Top End during the 2022/23 racing season, especially during the recent Darwin Cup Carnival.
Apart from Darwin, the annual Katherine Cup and Adelaide River Cup meetings make up the NT’s Top End region.
The horse awards include Sprinter of the Year up to 1300m, Three-Year-Old of the Year, Middle Distance/Stayer of the Year above 1300m, and Out Of Carnival Performer of the Year.
A judging panel comprising five individuals will vote on each category, with the winner in each group then vying to become Horse of the Year.
The same judging panel will cast their vote to determine the Horse of the Year.
The nominees in each section are as follows:
Sprinter — Bat Pad, Canton Kid, Cudjerie, Doc O’Connor, Early Crow, Expert Witness, Mr Cashman
Three-Year-Old — Ankle Rolex, Anphina, Century Fox, Doc O’Connor, Tubthumper
Middle Distance/Stayer — Eureka’s Victory, Ironedge, Magnolia Rose, Siakam, Write Your Name
Out Of Carnival Performer — Archie James, Bat Pad, Cudjerie, Early Crow, Expert Witness, Siakam, Write Your Name
Other horse awards include the Darwin Tried Horse Sale Performer of the Year and the TRNT Off The Track Aftercare.
There will also be individual awards presented to the region’s leading trainers and jockeys.
Gary Clarke ended the 2022/23 campaign as the leading trainer with 53 wins – the 11th-straight year he has won the title.
Jarrod Todd was the leading jockey for the fourth-straight year with 42 wins.
Emma Lines, 17, was the leading apprentice with 21 victories and was outright third in the premiership behind Todd and Sonja Logan.
Clarke and Todd will also be recognised as the leading trainer and jockey during the 2023 Darwin Cup Carnival after ending the eight race meetings held during July and August with 14 wins each.
Last season’s leading female trainer and jockey will be honoured by Women in Thoroughbred Racing NT.
Tayarn Halter will pick up the trainers’ award with 24 wins, having finished third in the premiership behind Clarke and Phil Cole (34).
Logan, formerly Sonja Wiseman before marrying Darwin trainer Tom Logan in August, was the premier female jockey with 30 wins.
Other individual prizes to be presented include Strapper of the Year and Character of Racing Award.
It was a clean sweep for Clarke last year, with Syncline named Horse of the Year and Sprinter of the Year, Count Of Essex named Middle Distance/Stayer of the Year and Out Of Carnival Performer of the Year, and Wolfburn named Three-Year-Old of the Year.
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