Northland horseman Kenny Rae is the archetypal racing battler.
The 38-year-old started at the bottom in the racing industry, and until this season had rarely surfaced into the limelight.
But there has been real progress this season.
Llenda Crown's open handicap win at Otaki on Saturday topped off Rae's best year in racing.
It was Rae's 11th win for the season and took the stable's stake earnings to $118,000 for the season. Both figures are the best Rae has achieved and a significant improvement on past years.
They also put him higher on the trainers' premiership than some comparatively well known stables.
Rae, who is based at Ruakaka, won seven races last season but his earnings were only $42,339. That was still an improvement on his returns in the two previous years, of $28,150 and $22,300 respectively, while he did not have a winner in 1996-97.
This season he has had two notable performers, Llenda Crown and Egyptian Raine.
- NZPA
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