|
|
TOP SPIN, as expected, was
named Singapore Horse of the Year 2008 at the Malayan Racing Association
Awards 2008 ceremony and gala dinner here tonight.
At the same time, Cheyenne Dancer got the vote as Horse of the Year 2008 in
Malaysia.
TOP SPIN (Arena - Gas by Danehill) picked up six Group wins from 12 starts
at Kranji last year, namely the Three Rings Trophy, Four-Year-Old Mile,
Chairman's Trophy, Singapore Derby Trial, the Singapore Derby and Kranji
Mile.
The Laurie Laxon-trained champion was voted ahead of Raffles Cup winner
CHEVRON and Singapore Gold Cup winner EL DORADO.
CHEYENNE DANCER (Indian Danehill - Daylight Hour by Brief Truce) won four of
seven starts in 2008, including a cross-border race at Kranji and the RM1m
Astro Wah Lai Toi Sprint Trophy.
CHEYENNE DANCER, trained by Frank Maynard, got the nod ahead of Penang Gold
Cup winner PROFESSIONAL MAN and TRIPLE LUCK, winner of the MRA Cup and
Coronation Cup.
The Malaysian-bred of the Year was SUMMER FIESTA, who started just twice in
the season but scored a runaway win in the Wira Malaysia Cup, the biggest
race for Malaysian breds.
The champions of the past season were also presented their awards at the
ceremony.
Lim’s Stable, headed by Lim Siah Mong, was the leading horse owner for the
second year running with prizemoney in excess of S$3m.
“It’s a wonderful honour to win the champion owner title and more so for the
second time in a row,” said Lim.
“I have to thank the great team behind this success. My partners do a great
job selecting horses and I’m lucky to have talented trainers getting them
into race fitness.”
Popular trainer Laurie Laxon captured his fifth consecutive title with 71
wins while jockey Saimee Jumaat brought up his eighth title, five years
after he was last crowned champion jockey in 2003.
Apprentice jockey Mark Ewe proved the most consistent among his peers to
clinch the title with 16 wins.
Across the Causeway, Beh Chin Pheng from Golden Knight Stable was the
champion owner after amassing around RM1.59m in stakes money.
First-season trainer Johnny Lim Boon Thong took the scene by storm, winning
the trainer’s title with 71 wins. Jockey Azhar Ismail retained his
premiership with 61 wins and apprentice Hermant Singh Gill had a sensational
season, coming up tops with 53 wins and finished third overall.  |
