Fangirl has stolen the show at Racing’s Night of Champions, taking out the NSW Miler of the Year award before being crowned NSW Champion Horse of the Year.
The Chris Waller-trained mare got her 2023/2024 campaign off to a flying start with a courageous win in the first Group 1 of the season, The Winx Stakes. She then produced what has been described as the performance of the season with a dominant victory in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes. An injury in March halted her preparation for six months but she had already done enough to earn Racing’s Night of Champions’ top award.
More than 300 guests at the glittering annual event stepped out on the red carpet with Sky Thoroughbred Central’s Chantelle Buckley and Ally Mosley interviewing key players as they entered the Ballroom at Royal Randwick. Prominent owners, trainers, jockeys, and breeders mingled during pre-dinner drinks before taking their seats for the presentation.
The first award to be announced was Champion Two-Year-Old which went to Godolphin’s impressive juvenile, Broadsiding. The James Cummings-trained colt announced his arrival with a comfortable win in the Listed Fernhill Handicap. He backed it up a week later, claiming his first Group 1 in the Champagne Stakes. He added a second Group 1 to his tally when he blitzed the field by more than four lengths in the J.J. Atkins.
The mantle for Champion Three-Year-Old went to ATC Derby, Victoria Derby, and Rosehill Guineas victor, Riff Rocket. The Chris Waller-trained gelding trumped a field of quality Group 1 winners to take home a famous horse head trophy.
Sprinter of the Year, Think About It, entered the 2023/2024 racing season on the back of a seven-race winning streak and his hot form continued with success in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes before he triumphed in the world’s richest turf race, The Everest.
Pride of Jenni was recognised as the Champion Middle Distance Horse after saluting in the All-Star Mile and three Group 1 races, including her famous demolition job in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Circle Of Fire (GB) earned the title of Stayer of the Year after producing an impressive performance to snatch the Group 2 Chairman’s Quality. The Ciaron Maher-trained import reasserted his dominance just seven days later in the Group 1 Sydney Stakes.
Zougotcha kicked clear in The Queen of the Autumn, which is judged by the Australian Turf Club on races restricted to fillies and mares. Victories in the Group 1 Queen of the Turf, Group 1 Coolmore Classic, and Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes highlighted her season.
Dual The Kosciuszko winner Front Page was declared Country Champion Horse, and fan favourite Think It Over was named Provincial Champion Horse. After being edged out by Icebath (NZ) last year, Think It Over reclaimed his provincial crown which he had won in 2022 and 2021. Both awards were determined by a Racing NSW panel.
“The standard of finalists is exceptionally high,” NSWROA President, Tony Mitevski said. “The 40 finalists earned a combined total of $76,503,601 in prizemoney during the 2023/2024 season and more than half recorded at least one Group 1 win.”
“As always, we wouldn’t be able to stage Racing’s Night of Champions without our wonderful sponsors, many of whom are long-time supporters of the event.”
Racing’s Night of Champions also hosted Racing NSW’s annual awards.
Chris Waller picked up his 14th successive T J Smith Award for Leading Sydney Trainer and took home the prestigious Bart Cummings Medal. Waller accumulated 75 points but had to withstand a powerful finish from leading jockey James McDonald to scrape home by one point. The trainer had won 12 successive Bart Cummings Medals but was outpointed last year by champion apprentice Zac Lloyd who this year finished seventh on 45 points.
Zac Lloyd took out his second Theo Green Award for leading Sydney apprentice with 60½ wins for the season, defeating runner-up Dylan Gibbons (36 winners) who is now a fully-fledged jockey.
James McDonald won his eighth George Moore Award for the Sydney Jockeys’ Premiership with 90 wins for the season, edging out Nash Rawiller (81 wins).
The BOBS Horse of the Year Award went to In Flight who amassed $78,750 in BOBS earnings.
The Sydney Strapper of the Year was Ashish Kumar from the Bjorn Baker stable.
The Caryl Williamson Racing Writers’ Personality of the Year was awarded to trainer Adrian Bott.
The first replay of the event will be shown on SKY Thoroughbred Central at 8.30pm Friday, 30th August, with re-runs scheduled for the following days.
