New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has announced finalists for the 2009-10 Mercedes Thoroughbred Racing Awards to be held at Ellerslie Racecourse on September 3.
Katie Lee, winner of the 1000 and 2000 Guineas double, has been nominated for three awards - Champion Three-Year-Old, Middle Distance Horse and Horse of the Year.This is in addition to her New Zealand Bloodstock Filly Of The Year Award. She also features in three other categories - Breeder Of The Year, Broodmare Of The Year and Owner Of The Year.
The Champion Three-Year-Old and Champion Middle Distance Horse Awards are the most open categories for the past season, with seven finalists being nominated for Champion Three-Year-Old: Katie Lee, Keep The Peace, Military Move, Monaco Consul, My Keepsake, Time Keeper and Zarzuela; and five for Champion Middle Distance Horse: Daffodil, Ekstreme, Katie Lee, Vosne Romanee and Wall Street.
Last year's Mercedes Horse Of The Year, Mufhasa, is a finalist for Champion Sprinter along with Tavistock, Vonusti and Wealth Princess.
In the other major horse category, Champion Stayer, the finalists comprise Boundless, Harris Tweed and Wellington Cup and City of Auckland Cup winner, Red Ruler.
Garry Chittick, of Waikato Stud, has again been nominated for the Breeder Of The Year title for Metal Bender, Daffodil, Joey Massino, Vigor and Tootsie.
He has won this award three times in the past four years.
Another prominent breeder, Sir Patrick Hogan, together with his wife, Lady Justine Hogan, lead the four nominations for the Mercedes Owner Of The Year with Katie Lee, Cool Diamond and Cavalera.
Three finalists feature in each of the two major Jockeys Awards - Flat and Jumping: Opie Bosson, James McDonald and Mark Du Plessis for the Jockey Of The Year, and Richard Eynon, Chad Ormsby and Jonathan Riddell for Jumps Jockey Of The Year.
