Jamie Richards will be out on his own again at the 2021 New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year awards.

The 31-year-old Matamata horseman is already assured of being named Trainer of the Year for the third time.

The second group of finalists for the Horse of the Year awards were announced by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing today and Richards, who heads the Te Akau Racing team, was so dominant in the past season that he has repeated last year’s achievement of being the sole nominee for Trainer of the Year.

He set new marks in terms of domestic wins, stake earnings and Group and Listed wins, establishing benchmarks that will not be easy to match in the new season. The stable won 13 of the 21 Group I races staged in New Zealand and another two in Australia, which, in terms of wins, made Richards and Sydney trainer Chris Waller the most successful Group I trainers in Australasia.

Richards’ partner, Danielle Johnson, is a finalist for Jockey of the Year and has obvious credentials after topping the jockeys’ premiership with 151 wins, 60 more than her nearest rival. The other finalists are Opie Bosson, a six-time winner of the title, and Craig Grylls, whose wins included the New Zealand Derby.

The finalists for Jumper of the Year – Magic Wonder, The Cossack and Yardarm – between them won 10 jumping races from 15 attempts in the 2020-21 season, which ended on July 31.

Nine finalists have been selected for Owner of the Year, including Cambridge Stud proprietors Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who took the title last year. Joan Egan, Hermitage Thoroughbreds, Kevin Hickman, NZ Thoroughbred Holdings and Sir Peter Vela are also returning finalists from 2020.

The further finalists are:

Champion Jumper: Magic Wonder, The Cossack, Yardarm

Jockey of the Year: Opie Bosson, Craig Grylls, Danielle Johnson

Jumps Jockey of the Year: Shaun Fannin, Dean Parker, Shaun Phelan

Trainer of the Year – sponsored by Dunstan: Jamie Richards

Owner of the Year - sponsored by TAB NZ: Joan Egan, Hermitage Thoroughbreds, Kevin Hickman, Jomara Bloodstock, Brendan & Jo Lindsay Partnership, NZ Thoroughbred Holdings, Kelvin Tyler, Sir Peter Vela, Waikato Stud

Premiership winners:

Jockeys’ Premiership: Danielle Johnson

Apprentice Jockeys’ premiership: Hazel Schofer

Trainers’ Premiership: Jamie Richards

Owners’ premiership:  Brendan & Jo Lindsay Partnership

Newcomer to Training – sponsored by gavelhouse.com  Peter Didham

For more information and to purchase tickets to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards visit loveracing.nz/awards