Queensland Racing

Queensland Horse of the Year - Gold Edition
Sponsored by Brisbane Turf Club & City Pacific Finance

Gold Edition has taken out the Queensland Horse of the Year award for the second year in a row. Now retired, Gold Edition won the monthly award three times last season for her Group 1 win in the Manikato Stakes, Group 2 win in the Schillachi Stakes and running a gallant second in the Group 1 Age Classic. The mare was trained by Ron Maund at Toowoomba and is owned by Kevin and Tanith O’Brien who now look forward to Gold Edition entering the breeding barn.

Jim Atkins Queensland Trainer of the Year - Liam Birchley
Sponsored by Magic Millions

Liam Birchley is considered one of Queensland’s most respected trainers. He had 19 metropolitan wins last season and was able to win six feature races along the way.
His feature wins for the 2007-2008 racing season included:

DATE	RACE	VENUE	STATUS	HORSE
5-Apr-08	Bright Shadow Quality	Eagle Farm	Listed	Vietnam
10-May-08	Doomben Classic	Doomben	Group 3	Pepperwood
9-Jun-08	Philip Sullivan Handicap	Eagle Farm	Listed	Rags to Riches
7-Jun-08	QTC Lightning Handicap	Eagle Farm	Listed	Devil Inside
31-May-08	Dane Ripper Stakes	Eagle Farm	Group 3	Vietnam
21-Jun-08	Tattersall's Open Mile	Eagle Farm	Listed	Rags to Riches

George Moore Queensland Jockey of the Year - Glen Colless
Sponsored by UNiTAB

Glen Colless is classed as one of this state’s most consistent riders. Not a natural light weight, Glen was able to win 43 metropolitan races last season with included around 10 stakes races. He formed a great association with Perth galloper Scenic Shot which gave Glen two Group 2 races including the time honoured PJ O’Shea Stakes at Eagle Farm. His feature wins for the 2007-2008 racing season included:

DATE	RACE	VENUE	STATUS	HORSE
3-May-08	Ken Russell Classic	Gold Coast	Listed	Cat D'Antibes
3-May-08	Gold Coast Bracelet	Gold Coast	Listed	Pentacity
19-Apr-08	Members' Quality Handicap	Eagle Farm	Listed	Rampant Lion
10-May-08	Doomben Classic	Doomben	Group 3	Pepperwood
3-May-08	Hollindale Stakes	Gold Coast	Group 2	Scenic Shot
24-Mar-08	Magic Millions Country Cup	Gold Coast		Amex Gold
31-May-08	Dane Ripper Stakes	Eagle Farm	Group 3	Vietnam
31-May-08	PJ O'Shea Stakes	Eagle Farm	Group 2	Scenic Shot
9-Jun-08	Philip Sullivan Handicap	Eagle Farm	Listed	Rags to Riches
21-Jun-08	Tattersall's Open Mile	Tattersall's	Listed	Rags to Riches

Ken Russell Queensland Apprentice of the Year - Mandy Radecker
Sponsored by AON

Mandy Radecker is under the care of Deagon trainer Pat Duff and she will complete her apprenticeship later this year after a successful 2007 – 2008 racing season. With an impressive strike rate of 13 per cent in the city, Mandy was able to win 23 metropolitan races last season. Mandy’s feature wins for the 2007-2008 racing season included:

DATE	RACE	VENUE	STATUS	HORSE
19-Apr-08	Juanmo Quality Handicap	Eagle Farm	Listed	Fabiarna
5-Jul-08	Ascot Handicap	Eagle Farm	Listed	Cocktail Supreme

Queensland Stallion of the Year - Lion Hunter
Sponsored by Thoroughbred Breeders’ Queensland Association

Lion Hunter, who stood at Oaklands Stud, was a tremendous loss to the breeding industry in Queensland. However, he continues to make an impact after winning this award for the last four years. He amassed over three and a half million dollars in prizemoney last season and besides Gold Edition another top performer was Chinchilla Rose, this daughter of Lion Hunter won the Group 2 Surround Stakes at Randwick.

SEQ Metropolitan and Provincial Trainer of the Year - Barry Baldwin
Sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers

Barry Baldwin trained 64 winners in the South East Queensland metropolitan and provincial area last season. Throughout the season he trained three trebles and also had a remarkable day at Ipswich one week when he trained the first four placegetters. His biggest win for the season would have been the Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup with Rum Dum.

SEQ Metropolitan and Provincial Jockey of the Year - Jim Byrne
Sponsored by Sky Channel

Jim Byrne has ridden 92 winners in the South East Queensland metropolitan and provincial area for the 2007 - 2008 racing season and finished seven wins ahead of Jason Holder to take out the award. A highlight for the year would be picking up the Group 1 Queensland Derby on Riva San for former Queensland trainer Peter Moody.

SEQ Metropolitan and Provincial Apprentice of the Year - Mandy Radecker
Sponsored by Cooper Grace Ward

Mandy Radecker has had a remarkable season finishing on 33 wins in the South East Queensland metropolitan and provincial area. In fact, she is the first female to win this award. Mandy secured two listed victories but a win on Catchit at Eagle Farm still remains a highlight for the season.

NON SEQ Provincial and Country Horse of the Year - Bazzooka
Sponsored by Magic Millions

Trained by Nathan Schofield in Atherton, Bazzooka has had 15 starts this season for nine wins and two seconds. The horse started the season winning a class three and went on to win the Mackay Newmarket and Townsville Cleveland Bay.

NON SEQ Provincial and Country Trainer of the Year - Roy Chillemi
Sponsored by Equestrian Surfaces

Roy Chillemi has won this award for the fourth year in a row reaffirming his dominance on the country/provincial circuit. Chillemi trains out of Tolga in Far North Queensland and late last year he trained four of the eight winners at an Atherton TAB meeting. Chillemi recorded most of his 56 wins for the season in Townsville.

NON SEQ Provincial and Country Jockey of the Year - Dale Missen
Sponsored by Contour Consulting Engineers

Mackay jockey Dale Missen has taken out the Non SEQ Provincial and Country Jockey award after recording 60 wins for the season in the area. Remarkably he rode four trebles throughout the season. One of his biggest wins for the year would be in the Mackay Cup when he rode Stage Shaker to victory.

NON SEQ Provincial and Country Apprentice of the Year - Luke Dillon
Sponsored by Professional Advantage

This is the second time apprentice Luke Dillon has taken out this award. The 2007 - 2008 season saw him ride 46 winners including a treble at Mackay earlier this year. He also road home run and gun for a win in the North Qld Derby on Mackay’s Cup raceday and also picked up a win on the popular Townsville Cup raceday aboard Dini Who.

Heart of the Citi has won nearly $700,000 for connections this season including $70,000 in QTIS bonus money. The Pat Duff-trained grey recorded five career wins in the 2007 - 2008 season. Heart of the Citi was also a monthly winner for the Horse of the Year last season after winning the Magic Millions 3YO Trophy in March.

Show a Heart filly Saratoga won over $100,000 including nearly $50,000 in QTIS bonuses her first year of racing for connections. Her first career win was at Doomben and was shortly followed with a second in the Listed McDougall Stakes.

Rampant Lion achieved amazing success for trainer Lindsay Gough during the 2007 - 2008 season. The Queensland Winter Racing Carnival provided the gelding’s owners with two listed wins plus a second in the Group 1 Doomben Cup. In fact, the last season saw Rampant Lion run nine times for two wins and six placings including a win in the Listed Tattersall's Member's Cup.

The Champion Broodmare award was hotly contended but Royal Diploma was a worthy winner. She produced Typhoon Zed in 2003 who last season claimed the Group 1 AJC Galaxy Handicap. Typhoon Zed also picked up placings in the Group 2 MRC Caulfield Sprint Handicap and the Group 2 VRC Salinger Stakes. In total Typhoon Zed won over $326,000 for the 2007/08 season.

Champion First Season Stallion - Pure Theatre
Sponsored by Tattersall’s Club

Pure Theatre raced at the highest level, winning the Group 3 Guineas Prelude enroute to a luckless third in the 2001 Group 1 Caulfield Guineas.
Like his famous sire Nureyev, Pure Theatre has a classical pedigree, outstanding looks and superb conformation. Pure Theatre stands at Oaklands Stud and last season his progeny earned over $100,000.

Falvelon’s progeny amassed over $1.7million in two-year-old prizemoney earnings last season for Glenlogan Park. He also produced two, two-year-old stakes winners, both for Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse. On Doomben soil She’s Meaner won the Listed Tommy Smith Slipper while Mr Profumo won the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick.

This is the first year the Women in Racing Award has featured at the Queensland Racing Industry Awards and recognises the achievements of women in racing. This year’s winner, Mary Henzell, is a deserving recipient having served as a member of the Sunshine Coast Turf Club board for nearly 10 years. Mary has had a lifelong interest in horse racing and is a keen fundraiser for a variety of charities and regularly opens her door to interstate and overseas trainers during carnival times.

Cachaca won her maiden race at the Sunshine Coast at the starting price of $101 for trainer Col Williamson and jockey Michael Heagney to claim the Longest Priced Winner in South East Queensland for the season. Since his maiden win, Cachaca has run a host of placings for owner Ben Mason and is rarely out of the prizemoney.

“Highpoint” Farrier Award - Kristian Coats
Sponsored by Queensland Master Farriers’ Association

The Farrier Award is determined by a points system during the Winter Carnival covering all of the Group 1 races as well as the best prizemoney races from Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Ipswich and Sunshine Coast. Kristian’s points tally for the year was 31 which eclipsed the record set last year by Chris McMullen. Some of the winners Kristian had included Mr Baritone, the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap winner, and Sarerra, the Group 1 Doomben Cup winner.

Best Strapper - Luke Pannell
Sponsored by Queensland Racehorse Owners’ Association

Luke Pannell joined Liam Birchley’s Hendra stables last year after previously strapping at John Hawke’s Brisbane stables. He has strapped around 15 city winners this season including for Pepperwood when he won the Group 3 Doomben Classic. He also strapped Vietnam when he claimed the Group 3 Dane Ripper Stakes plus Bitabiff’s latest two metropolitan wins.

Best Media Award - Off the Beaten Track – Sky Channel
Sponsored by XXXX Gold

Despite racing coming to a stand still in the south east Queensland corner during the Equine Influenza shutdown, Sky Channel continued to feature racing in the State. Their coverage of the first ever TAB meeting at Mount Isa interviewing jockey and track manager Keith Ballard is just one example.

2008 QUEENSLAND RACING INDUSTRY AWARDS