TALENTED Wagga galloper Another One has been awarded Southern District Racing Association (SDRA) Horse of the Year.
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Another One was voted in as a convincing winner at the SDRA annual general meeting recently and connections will be presented the award at Murrumbidgee Turf Club on Friday.
Another One had six starts in the 2020-21 season for three wins, a second placing and $260,000 in earnings.
He won a Highway at Randwick last December before going on to claim the SDRA Country Championships Qualifier (1400m) at Wagga in February.
Another One went on to run an enormous second placing, behind Art Cadeau, in the $500,000 final at Randwick in what was his last performance of the season.
Wagga trainer Gary Colvin was pleased to see Another One rewarded for an outstanding season.
"It's pretty good," Colvin said.
"He obviously won the Country Championships here and was very unlucky in the big one. He just got caught out wide and went really well.
"For the horse, my staff and the owners, it's great for them."
The win, Colvin's first SDRA Horse of the Year title, further justifies connections decision to turn down a big money offer from Hong Kong for Another One after his second career win.
After an indifferent preparation just gone, Another One is back in work and being aimed towards a second tilt at the Country Championships.
"I'm very happy with him," Colvin said.
"I'll probably give him a jump out and trial. He's a good fresh horse so we might go first-up, but if I need to give him a run, I'll give him a run.
"He wasn't wound up when we brought him back in for the Kosciuszko this year but I guarantee you he will be this time."
Another One also claimed SDRA 3YO of the Year.
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WAGGA trainer Scott Spackman is glad common sense was used to award Rocket Tiger the SDRA 2YO of the Year.
Rocket Tiger took all before him last season, winning his first two race starts at Canberra and Randwick, before running placings in the Silver Slipper and Black Opal.
It prompted owner Noel Penfold to pay the late entry fee and Rocket Tiger became the first Wagga two-year-old to contest the Golden Slipper, where he toughed out a solid 10th placing.
Under the rules, Rocket Tiger was not eligible for the SDRA awards because he did not have two race starts in the district.
However, the SDRA committee made an exception and awarded the title to Rocket Tiger.
"It was really touched by it, to be honest," Spackman said.
"I'm glad they bent the rules. He was trained here, he never left here. It's a big achievement for the horse, he makes us look good."
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WAGGA trainer Scott Spackman will look to unearth another top two-year-old on Boxing Day.
Spackman has accepted with Semper Invictus at both Randwick and Caulfield on Sunday.
The two-year-old is fifth emergency at Randwick, but is likely to go to Caulfield where he has made the field.
Kacie Adams, whose father Kevin bred and owns the horse, will ride the Rubick gelding wherever he goes.
Albury trainer Mitch Beer also has Scarlet Prince in the opener at Caulfield on Sunday, where Simon Miller will enjoy a rare metropolitan ride.
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TOP Southern District jockey John Kissick won't be back riding on Boxing Day as he originally planned.
Kissick has been sidelined since May with a badly broken leg that he sustained at the Wagga Gold Cup carnival.
Kissick had planned on a Boxing Day return at Albury but his leg pulled up sorer than expected from the Tatura trials earlier this month.
"I pulled up pretty ordinary and am going to give it a bit more time," Kissick said.
"Hopefully it will be no later than four weeks. It was just the extra pressure on it from the trials, it pulled up really ordinary so I want to give it a bit more time."
Kissick, a three-time SDRA premiership-winning jockey, is due for a change of luck after a horrible run of injuries in recent years.
"It's frustrating," he said.
"Hopefully this time I can go for a year without an injury."
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GRAND campaigner Willy White Socks has been retired.
Connections made the decision to retire Willy White Socks, bringing an end a long and durable racing career.
Raced by Shane Wilson, the Boys 'n' Babes syndicate and Towong Thoroughbeds, Willy White Socks had 114 starts for 12 wins, 29 minor placings and $253,000 in career earnings.
He did the majority of his racing with Trevor Sutherland, winning MTC Country Cup, Forbes Cup and ran seventh in the 2018 Wagga Gold Cup, before spending time under the care of Graham Byatt and George Dimitropoulos in recent times.
The nine-year-old won his last race at Narrandera in June.
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THE new winning post at Murrumbidgee Turf Club is expected to help solve the issue around the deceptive camera angle for photo finishes on Wagga's Riverside track.
The camera angle and results of some finishes on the Wagga Riverside track have been the subject of much controversy at times, particularly on social media.
The new Wagga winning post, that will be in play for the first time on Friday, has the ability to be folded down.
This will allow a shift in the winning post on the Riverside track, that will mean the camera operators will be much better positioned for the winning post.
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MURRUMBIDGEE Turf Club (MTC) president Geoff Harrison and Narrandera Racing Club racing manager Michael Bailey have joined the SDRA board.
The SDRA held its annual general meeting recently where Harrison and Bailey were added to the committee.
Albury's Dick Sloane was re-elected president of the SDRA, as was treasurer Brian Scolyear.
New MTC chief executive Jason Ferrario was elected secretary.
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WHAT'S ON
GALLOPS
Friday: Wagga (TAB)
Sunday: Tumut (non-TAB), Albury (non-TAB)
Tuesday: Corowa (TAB)
TROTS
Sunday: Leeton (TAB)
DOGS
Friday: Wagga (TAB)