New Zealand Horse of the Year Melody Belle.  Photo credit: Trish Dunell

Glamour galloper Melody Belle has added the New Zealand Horse of the Year title to her growing list of achievements.

 

The Matamata mare was an almost unanimous choice for Horse of the Year, which was announced at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards, in Auckland on Sunday night.

 

Of the 61 votes cast for Horse of the Year, Melody Belle received 59, with one apiece for stablemate Te Akau Shark and Bostonian, who was a dual Group One winner in Australia.

 

Melody Belle was also named Champion Sprinter-Miler for the 2018-19 season and was narrowly beaten by Danzdanzdance in the middle-distance category.

 

Yourdeel, a stablemate of Melody Belle, was named Champion Two-Year-Old, with Madison County (three-year-old), Glory Days (stayer) and Jackfrost (Jumper) taking the other horse categories.

 

Opie Bosson, who won six Group One races last season, headed off premiership winner Lisa Allpress by four votes in a tight battle for Champion Jockey. It was the fifth win for Bosson and came 21 years after his first.

 

Champion trainer Murray Baker, who had trained the previous five Horse of the Year winners, received the prestigious Contribution to Racing award. Baker has had a long and successful career and has won more Group One races in Australia than any other New Zealand trainer.

 

Baker and his training partner Andrew Forsman have won almost 600 races over the past five seasons and set new benchmarks in terms of wins, stake earnings and black-type wins. They have won 105 back type races over that period, including 78 Group races, with 23 at Group One level. The stable’s stake earnings for the period have topped $25 million.

 

Melody Belle presented an irresistible case for New Zealand Horse of the Year honours, with a near faultless four-year-old campaign, which produced six Group wins from eight starts, ranging in distance from 1200m to 2000m.

 

She was a dominant force at weight-for-age level, with six wins from six weight-for-age outings, including a record five Group One wins.

 

Melody Belle has already made a mark in the new season, winning the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings on August 31.

 

The Commands mare, who was bred by Marie Leicester, was purchased out of Haunui Farm’s 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale by Te Akau Principal David Ellis for $57,500. She is trained by Jamie Richards and raced by the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate, which is managed by syndicator John Galvin.

  

Wellington owner Lib Petagna, who races under the JML Bloodstock banner, was voted Owner of the Year for the fourth successive year. Petagna had 14 winners or stakes-placed horses, from 26 runners, including two Group One winners and three group placegetters.

 

He had a 50 percent share in Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner Crown Prosecutor and raced Gr.1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) winner Nicoletta on his own.

 

The deeds of champion Hong Kong galloper Beauty Generation were reflected in the two major breeding awards. Nearco Stud, which bred Beauty Generation, was Breeder of the Year and Beauty Generation’s dam, Stylish Bel, was Broodmare of the Year.

 

Beauty Generation, a son of Road To Rock, was unbeaten in eight starts in Hong Kong in the 2018-19 season and was crowned Hong Kong Horse of the Year the second successive year.

 

Nearco Stud, which is owned by South Island businessman Greg Tomlinson, was also represented by Group Two winner Belle du Nord and Group Three winner Miss Federer. 

 

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Horse of the Year:  Melody Belle (59 votes)

Also: Bostonian (1), Te Akau Shark (1).

 

NZTR Award for Outstanding Contribution to Racing: Murray Baker.

 

Champion Two-Year-Old: Yourdeel (55).

Other finalists: Probabeel (9), Aotea Lad, Aretha.

 

Champion Three-Year-Old - sponsored by FastTrack Insurance: Madison County (58).

Other finalists: Media Sensation (1), Crown Prosecutor, Sentimental Miss, Surely Sacred.

 

Champion Sprinter-Miler (up to 1600m) - sponsored by Majestic Horse Floats: Melody Belle (55).

Other finalists: Bostonian (8), Enzo’s Lad, Shadows Cast, Te Akau Shark.

 

Champion Middle-Distance Horse (1601m-2200m): Danzdanzdance (32).

Other finalists: Melody Belle (30), Savvy Coup (2), On The Rocks.

 

Champion Stayer (2201m +): Glory Days (62).

Other finalists: Rondinella (1), Five To Midnight.

 

Champion Jumper: Jackfrost (51).

Other finalists: Shamal (6), Gagarin (2), Perry Mason (2), Chocolate Fish (1).

 

Trainer of the Year - sponsored by Dunstan: Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman (50).

Other finalists: Jamie Richards (12).

 

Jockey of the Year: Opie Bosson (29).

Other finalists: Lisa Allpress (25), Matthew Cameron (4), Johnathan Parkes (1).

 

Jumps Jockey of the Year: Aaron Kuru (58).

Other finalists: Buddy Lammas (4), Shaun Phelan.

 

Owner of the Year – sponsored by TAB:  JML Bloodstock (24).

Other finalists: China Horse Club Racing (12), Archer Equine Investments (8), Brendan and Jo Lindsay Partnership (8), Sir Peter Vela (3), NZ Thoroughbred Holdings (1), Raffles Dancers (1), Kevin Hickman, Kamada Racing and Bloodstock, Kelvin Tyler. 

 

New Zealand Strapper of the Year – sponsored by Chris Waller Racing: Brittany Moore (employed by Pitman Racing).

 

NZTR Award for Contribution to Media, Digital & Content: Isola Racing Stables.

Other finalists: Boys Get Paid, Des Coppins, Mark Nowell, Aidan Rodley, Paul Vettise.

 

Breeder of the Year: Nearco Stud (Breeder of Beauty Generation, Belle du Nord and Miss Federer).

Other finalists: Archer Equine, Garry Chittick and Waikato Stud and partners, WJ Gleeson and WJ Bloodstock, Don Goodwin.

 

Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year – sponsored by Arion Pedigrees:  Stylish Bel (dam of Beauty Generation).

Other finalists: Meleka Belle, Red Delicious.

 

Trainers’ Premiership: Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman.

 

Jockeys’ Premiership: Lisa Allpress.

 

Apprentice Jockeys’ Premiership: Ryan Elliot.

 

Owners’ Premiership: Sir Peter Vela.

 

Newcomer to Training – sponsored by gavelhouse.com: Jamie Richards.

 

Grosvenor Award (stallion earnings in NZ): Savabeel.

 

Dewar Stallion Trophy: (stallion earnings in New Zealand and Australia): Savabeel. 

 

Centaine Award: (stallion earnings worldwide): Savabeel.

 

New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year: Imelda Mary and Queen Of Diamonds.