Winning Ways named Qld Horse of the Year

As Queensland's sole Group 1 winner in 2018/19, Winning Ways was also named the Three-Year-Old Horse of the Year.

During the voting period, Winning Ways prevailed in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks and the Group 3 Gold Coast Bracelet to be the Sunshine State's flagbearer during the recent Winter Racing Carnival.

In the Trainer of the Year Award, Tony Gollan prevailed for a sixth occasion, adding it to his Metropolitan Premiership win.

Having steered The Bostonian to Group 1 success in the Doomben 10,000 and the Kingsford-Smith, Michael Cahill was named Jockey of the Year.

Former North Queensland sprinter Tyzone was Champion 4YO and over Horse of the Year, Rockhampton-based Mr Attitude was Provincial Horse of the Year and much-travelled Fab's Cowboy was Country Horse of the Year.

The night also allowed Racing Queensland to induct five new members into the Hall of Fame with Bore Head, one of the state's premier stayers who won the 1963 Queensland Cup, 1965 Caulfield Cup, the 1967 Australian Cup and the 1967 Doomben Cup, being acknowledged for his incredible accomplishments.

Fresh off his record-equalling 11^th Hong Kong Premiership win, Dalby-born John Size was inducted as a Hall of Fame trainer, while Noel Best, who announced himself as a force to reckoned with at just 16 when he piloted Murray Stream to victory in the Doomben 10,000, was acknowledged for his feats in the saddle.

The voice of the Darling Downs, experienced broadcaster the late Pat O'Shea was inducted as an associate, as was former Tattersall's Club president Sir Albert Sakzewski, who in 1962 became the inaugural chairman of the Totalisator Administration Board (TAB).

RQ CEO Brendan Parnell said Winning Ways was the standout Thoroughbred performance over the season. "She's developed into a very nice mare, but she had to fight off three legitimate contenders in Tyzone, Winter Bride and Zoustyle.

"Tony Gollan has been a consistent force in our training ranks and thoroughly deserves his sixth Trainer of the Year Award, while Michael Cahill enjoyed an outstanding Winter Carnival and year as a whole. It was also a huge thrill to be able to acknowledge our Hall of Fame inductees, including Pat O'Shea, who served as an early mentor of mine," he said.

While edged out for the night's top gong, Tyzone, who won the Listed Goldmarket Handicap and the Group 3 BRC Sprint for Toby Edmonds - as well as finishing second in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap - was named the Four Years and Older Horse of the Year.

The Kelly Schweida-trained The Odyssey was awarded the Two-Year-Old Horse of the Year after winning four of seven starts including the $500,000 2YO Jewel at the Gold Coast, while placing a further two times.

Other award winners included Baylee Nothdurft securing the Ken Russell Queensland Apprentice of the Year - and the Metropolitan Apprentice of the Year - while Miles-based Bevan Johnson enjoyed a double of his own as he and Fab's Cowboy were acknowledged as the Country Trainer and Horse of the Year respectively.

RQ also took the opportunity to acknowledge retiring jockey Jeff Lloyd, who won his fourth consecutive Metropolitan Premiership, and in the process, called time on an incredible riding career which spawned more than 5000 winners including 94 at Group 1 level.

Horse of the Year - Winning Ways (Garry Newham)

Trainer of the Year - Tony Gollan

Jockey of the Year - Michael Cahill

Apprentice of the Year - Baylee Nothdurft

Metropolitan Trainers' Premiership - Tony Gollan

Metropolitan Jockeys' Premiership - Jeff Lloyd

Apprentice of the Year - Baylee Nothdurft

Provincial Apprentice of the Year - Adin Thompson

Country Apprentice of the Year - Emma Bell

Student of the Year - Hannah Phillips

QRIC Stewards Award - Michael Cahill

QTIS Horse of the Year - Hold The Line (David Vandyke)

2YO Horse of the Year - The Odyssey (Kelly Schweida)

3YO Horse of the Year - Winning Ways (Garry Newham)

4YO and Older Horse of the Year - Tyzone (Toby Edmonds)

Provincial Horse of the Year - Mr Attitude (Ricky Vale)

Provincial Trainer of the Year - Stuart Kendrick

Provincial Premiership Jockey - Justin Stanley

Country Premiership Horse of the Year - Fab's Cowboy (Bevan Johnson)

Country Premiership Trainer - Bevan Johnson

Country Premiership Jockey - Dan Ballard

Stallion of the Year - Spirit of Boom

Champion First Season Stallion - Better Than Ready

Champion 2YO Stallion - Better Than Ready

Broodmare of the Year - She's Meaner

Hall of Fame (Horse) - Bore Head

Hall of Fame (Jockey) - Noel Best

Hall of Fame (Trainer) - John Size

Hall of Fame (Associate) - Sir Albert Sakzewski

Hall of Fame (Associate) - Pat O'Shea

EMOTIONS flowed at Doomben back on Saturday, June 1 when 3YO filly Winning Ways scored an impressive win in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m).

That Group 1 win was sufficient for Winnng Ways to be named as Queensland Horse of the Year at the Queensland Thoroughbred Awards held last Sunday.

It was mixed emotions for connections with the win the first at Group 1 level for young local jockey Matthew McGillivray, while the win came just a week after her owner Paul Makin sadly passed away.

Carrying the Paulyn Investments colours, made famous by stars including Starcraft, Winning Ways emerged as one of Australia's new rising staying prospects with an exciting victory. Gold Coast trainer Garry Newham was able to deliver on a long time promise to the Makin family - telling them Winning Ways would win the Oaks early in her racing career.

Gary Newham guided Starcraft from a maiden win at Doomben to be a triple Group 1 winner in Australia and New Zealand before he was sent to race overseas where he won a further three Group 1 races for trainer Luca Cumani in England and France including the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Newmarket to earn his world's best older miler on turf status.

Winning Ways boasts an imposing record for a lightly raced staying prospect. She's won seven of her 15 starts. Other wins include the listed Bracelet at her home track of the Gold Coast.

A half-sister by Declaration of War to Perth-based stakes winner Dreamtime Dancer, Winning Ways was a $110,000 purchase for leading international bloodstock agent Dermot Farrington from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Winning Ways and Dreamtime Dancer are both from the Galileo mare Skip Along.

Daytime Dreamer was the result of an overseas covering of Skip Along to Danehill Dancer prior to her arrival in Australia in January 2012. Unfortunately, Winning Ways was her third and final foal as she died three weeks after foaling. Her second foal Cosmologist, a 6YO gelding by dual Group 1 winner Uncle Mo (USA), has also been a consistent performer for Sydney trainer Joseph Pride with seven wins and a placing from 16 starts to bank more than $323,000.

Farrington was a long-time friend and bloodstock adviser and buyer for Makin and welcomed the emotional result with great pride. As Farrington put it succinctly following the win: "He always had the last say!"

THE Battle of the Bush final, record wagering turnover and the return to Group 1 racing at Eagle Farm have been labelled by Racing Queensland as major contributors to the success of the 2019 TAB Winter Racing Thoroughbred Carnival.

"The Battle of the Bush held on Tatt's Tiara Day continues to go from strength to strength and has quickly become one of the highlights of the Carnival," RQ CEO Brendan Parnell said.

In total, almost $274 million of turnover was recorded throughout the Winter Carnival - a 3 per cent increase on last year - despite encountering heavy tracks at the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast meetings and a reduction in generosities from wagering service providers.

Across the final two months of the carnival, a record-breaking $16.3 million in prize money was distributed thanks to an 11pc increase.

With Channel 7 broadcasting four marquee meetings across the nation, the combined metropolitan and regional audience on free-to-air and Sky Racing was close to 2.6 million viewers and was internationally exported to 60 countries. This included a record reach of 454,000 on Stradbroke Handicap Day, while the Kingsford-Smith Cup recorded a reach of more than 320,000 viewers.

Winter Carnival turnover highlights included:

THE Winter Carnival contributed to new records for Queensland racing's annual turnover ($4.3 billion) across all codes - a rise of $217 million - while tri-code payments to participants incorporating prize money, breeder schemes, jockey/driver fees and race club subsidies also broke through the $200 million threshold for the first time.

"Racing Queensland's desire to bolster our Winter Racing Carnival has certainly paid dividends. The return to racing at Eagle Farm has assisted with this - as we saw on Stradbroke Day - but there are a range of other factors that have been telling," Mr Parnell said.

"The Kingsford-Smith Cup meeting has emerged as Queensland's third-biggest wagering day behind the Magic Millions and Stradbroke Day. Twilight racing also continues to perform strongly with the Glasshouse Handicap raising the all-time wagering result for a race at the Sunshine Coast Turf Club," he said.

Having been rated 26th among the world's top-100 Group 1 races in 2018, the Doomben 10,000 lived up to its billing as one of Australia's premier sprint races, with turnover increasing to $32.2 million to make it the third biggest wagering meeting of the Carnival.

Through the turnstiles, more than 70,000 people were in attendance with the Ipswich Cup, Stradbroke Day and Kingsford-Smith Cup filling the top-three most popular race meetings.

They were closely followed by Tatts Tiara Day, which featured the TAB Battle of the Bush, which grew by more than 20pc to continue its position as one of the most popular days on the Queensland racing calendar.