Blood tells as cups stack up during awards

A second New Zealand Cup and and a Wellington Cup with Blood Brotha gave trainer Raymond Connors (left) and dad Mark the Wanganui Horse of the Year and Stayer of the Year trophies.

A mix of clear-cut wins and photo finishes determined the outcome of the annual Wanganui Jockey Club 92.8 More FM 2012/2013 Racing Awards announced on Sunday night.

Wanganui Horse of the Year Blood Brotha was obviously a clear-cut winner after notching back-to-back New Zealand Cups before going on to win the Group 3 Wellington Cup. The Mark and Raymond Connors-owned gelding also had podium finishes in major black type staying races during a Sydney campaign during the 2012/2013 season. Those claims to fame also gave Blood Brotha the Stayer of the Year title. Raymond Connors, who also trains the Danzighill gelding, has set Blood Brotha on a course for a third New Zealand Cup this season.

The leading trainer and jockey were also clear decisions with Kevin Myers finishing fifth on the national premiership with 85 victories and Lisa Allpress third on the jockeys' table with 123 winners. Myers also bagged the Tom Corrigan Trophy for Leading Jumps Trainer with 17 winners over the sticks.

Wanganui Weight-for-age Performer of the Year, O'Fille, gave her owners Charlie Waaka, Steve Meredith and Joy Work, back-to-back wins in this category with her victories in the Manawatu Breeders Stakes, Cuddle Stakes and Trentham Stakes.

The deeds of the classy Wayne Marshment-trained O'Reilly mare also tipped the scales in favour of Peter and Barbara Smith for the Breeders of the Year title. This was a close call with contender Wayne Keenan providing a serious challenge. The game changer was a win by the Smith-bred It Has To Be You in the Group 1 Hong Kong Classic Cup. The Smiths also won this category last year.

Possibly just below the best in the country, Taurus' achievements during the season gave him the nod for the Sprinter/Miler trophy with three wins and placings in the Group 3 Winter Cup and the Listed Opunake Cup for trainers Evan and JJ Rayner.

The Jumper of the Year trophy was also a tough call with Rioch and Sea King, both trained by Myers, in a photo finish for first. Rioch had won the Waikato Steeple, while Sea King the Waikato Hurdle on the same day, but Rioch's victory in the Manawatu Steeple swayed the judges his way. Rioch is owned and raced by the O'Leary brothers, Michael, Dan and Shaun.

The leading jumps Jockey of the Year was Jo Rathbone, who is on the injury list with shoulder and collarbone issues. Rathbone won races for total prizemoney of $243,000. She is, of course, Myers' right-hand woman in charge of gallopers in satellite stables.

The policy of the awards sub-committee is that if there are no two-year-olds with wins on the board the award lapses for the year.

But after considerable research The Alcippe was discovered to have chalked up the vital win required to take the Two-year-old of the Year title for the Steve Crutchley stable.

The Three-year-old of the Year class was also a tight affair with last year's juvenile winner Scapolo having spent a good part of the season successfully racing in Australia.

The trophy, however, went to the Crutchley-trained Mels Evie with three New Zealand wins for owner/breeder Gordon Lambert.

One of the more popular category winners was long time Wanganui Jockey Club supporter and tireless worker John Devine.

His good nature, honesty, knowledge and good heart earned Devine the Stuart Tasker Memorial Personality Award. Devine is often see toiling away helping track manager Mark Buckley and his team.