RACING
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ALBURY trainer Brett Cavanough finds it hard to split his three finalists in Friday night's Southern District Racing Association (SDRA) Horse of the Year award.
Cavanough claimed a 10th Southern District trainer's premiership in the 2013-14 season and as a result has three of the eight finalists in the Horse of the Year Award.
Sprinting sensations Scatcat, Just A Bullet and The Monstar will go up against Southern District's best horses for the top gong.
Cavanough believes any one of his finalists could win it but leans slightly towards The Monstar.
"The Monstar won five races plus the Flat Knacker," Cavanough said.
"Scatcat won a Stan Sadleir Stakes easily.
"Just A Bullet broke two track records, won four in a row then went to town and got beat a head.
"The Monstar went super. He went from zero to hero, a maiden to an open company horse in one season.
"Scatcat did the same.
"But from an owners point of view I would like to see The Monstar win it."
Cavanough won the award with Prince Pedro a couple of seasons back.
He had a couple of finalists last year but was edged out by the Dave Heywood-trained Living On A Prayer.
Cavanough believes the quality of finalists this year is excellent.
"It's pretty exciting because normally there is a standout," he said.
"Nothing seems a standout this year."
Cavanough expects the strongest competition from the Tim Donnelly-trained Jo Jo Girl and last year's winner Living On A Prayer.
While happy to see all three of his sprinters recognised, the awards night also serves as a reminder of the unfortunate fate to Scatcat and Just A Bullet.
Both were injured in recent months with Scatcat forced into premature retirement, while Just A Bullet remains sidelined.
"I'm happy to see up there but I'm also disappointed because I've got to find three more like them," he said.
Cavanough also has a contender in SDRA's new award, the two-year-old of the year.
Cavanough believes Loved Up will take beating in her category.
"She should win it," he said.
"I will need a wheelbarrow to bring all the trophies back to Albury."
Cavanough will also be presented with his SDRA premiership at the awards.
EKLANDS (K Hanley, Albury):
Record in 2013-14:
17 starts for 5 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third and $57,025 in prizemoney (feature win Benchmark 74 Hcp at Wagga). 29% winning strike-rate.
GRAND ALLOWANCE (W Carroll, Wagga):
Record in 2013-14:
9 starts for 4 wins, 2 seconds and $40,685 in prizemoney (feature win the Peacock Cup at Narrandera). 44% winning strike-rate.
JO JO GIRL (T Donnelly, Wagga):
Record in 2013-14:
18 starts for 6 wins, 5 seconds, 3 thirds and $109,770 in prizemoney (feature win Benchmark 75 Hcp at Randwick). 33% winning strike-rate.
JUST A BULLET (B Cavanough, Albury):
Record in 2013-14:
6 starts for 4 wins, 2 seconds and $50,900 in prizemoney (feature win Class 3 at Albury). 66% winning strike-rate.
LIVING ON A PRAYER (D Heywood, Wagga):
Record in 2013-14:
10 starts for 2 wins, 1 second, 2 thirds and $84,840 in prizemoney (feature win $75,000 Townsville Open Hcp). 20% winning strike-rate.
SCATCAT (B Cavanough, Albury):
Record in 2013-14:
15 starts for 5 wins, 1 second, 2 thirds and $97,830 in prizemoney (feature win Stan Sadleir Stakes at Wagga). 33% winning strike-rate.
SONRO (G D'Altorio, Griffith):
Record in 2013-14:
14 starts for 6 wins, 2 thirds and $62,755 in prizemoney (feature wins the Narrandera, Griffith and Parkes Cups). 43% winning strike-rate.
THE MONSTAR (B Cavanough, Albury):
Record in 2013-14:
12 starts for 6 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third and $103,260 in prizemoney (feature win Flat Knacker at Albury). 50% winning strike-rate
RICHARD FREYER: Freyer took over the stables of his father Jack at the age of 24 and has been training from Corowa for the past 42 years. A winner of the SDRA premierships 19 times, including 13 straight during the 1980s and 90s. During his training career, he has won eight Albury Gold Cups, 15 Corowa Cups and the Hay and Berrigan Cups a combined total of 20 times. Popular stayer Leica Falcon has been his best horse, running fourth behind Makybe Diva in the 2005 Melbourne Cup and an unlucky fifth in the Caulfield Cup. He has also trained quality horses such as Sir Knight, Prince Tone, Trev Cent and Barrakee. Freyer, to this day, still has 10 horses in work.
DAVE HEYWOOD: Heywood's involvement in racing goes back to 1960 where he rode in his first race on February 20 when indentured to Bert Honeychurch at Berrigan. Some eight months later, at age 15, he rode Reinsman for Tommy Woodcock in the 1960 Melbourne Cup. Heywood went on to win 600 races during his 12-year career as a jockey and claimed the NSW country jockey's premiership in 1970 when based at Wagga. Heywood retired in 1972 to take up training and is still one of the leading stables some 42 years later. The highlight of his training career to date is Pride Of Indies' win in the 1985 Wagga Gold Cup. He also has saddled up quality horses such as Green Ridge, Shadameneo, King Of Indies, Pride Rock, Hillston Exchange and Living On A Prayer. Heywood has enjoyed more than 500 winners as a trainer. In the metropolitan arena, he rode 29 winners and has trained another 30.
COL LYONS: Lyons has been involved in the Tumbarumba Turf Club for four decades and has served as secretary for the past 35 years. He has raced horses since the 1970s with trainers such as Barry Bowditch, Norm Shinn, Gary Colvin and Mitchell Hulm. Lyons has enjoyed most success with Larrikin Joe and High Expectation. Lyons is a long-time member of the Murrumbidgee Turf Club and is a regular attendee of meetings across the Southern District.
GRAHAM POWER: Power is one of Southern District's greatest jockeys and his career spanned from 1970 to 2000. Over 30 years, Power rode a total of 402 winners from 2912 rides. He notched up 73 doubles, 13 trebles, two quartets and once rode five winners at a Wagga meeting. A highlight was the win aboard Captaincy in the 1997 Wagga Gold Cup. These days, Power is still giving to the industry in his role as a mentor to apprentice jockeys.
LEN TOZER: Toxer has been the secretary of the Gundagai-Adelong Race Club for the past 45 years. He has overseen major development and redevelopment at Gundagai during that time and is one of the main men behind the success of the Snake Gully Cup carnival. Tozer has also worked as a bookmakers' clerk since 1969 for the late Dick Jones and Bruce McCarthy. He has also a number of horses since his first winner back in 1967. Tozer's most successful galloper being Carvalin, a winner of 27 races, including the Snake Gully Cup, three Tumut Cups and two Gundagai Cups.
BATTLE OF EVERMORE (T Sutherland, Wagga):
Record in 2013-14:
7 starts for 1 win, 3 seconds, 1 third (won at Corowa, 2nd in the Wellington Boot)
BRANDY NAN (T Donnelly, Wagga):
Record in 2013-14:
3 starts for 1 win, 1 second (won at Wagga)
LOVED UP (B Cavanough, Albury):
Record in 2013-14:
5 starts for 2 wins, 1 second (2 wins at Wagga, 2nd in the Inglis Bonus at Wagga on Town Plate Day)
TOTHECOASTANDBACK (B Witt, Wagga):
Record in 2013-14:
7 starts for 1 win, 1 second, 1 third (won at Wagga, 4th at Rosehill)