TRAINER Kym Hann has capped his best season in racing by winning a swag of awards at the Bendigo Trainers’ Association Horse of the Year awards night.
Hann, 30, captured a second straight horse of the year title with popular sprinter Glenrowan Prince.
The now seven-year-old gelding had 11 starts during the 2017-18 racing season for two wins and a pair of minor placings, and a solid fifth in a $100,000 race at Caulfield.
His wins came in back-to-back races in March in the $70,000 VOBIS Gold Eldorado at Wangaratta (1300m) and$80,000 Echuca Cup (1400m).
Glenrowan Prince, who was nominated for an award for a record fifth-straight year and also won the sprinter’s award, was also crowned horse of the year in 2016-17, a season in which he presented Hann with his first metropolitan winner.
With 13 winners for the season, Hann also won the premier trainer and training strike rate awards.
He is the first trainer to have won the award other than Shaun Dwyer and Shane Fliedner said it was introduced.
Glenrowan Prince captured the horse of the year award narrowly ahead of top three-year-old Miss Leonidas, who won three of her six starts for Dwyer, including two in the city.
A new initiative this year was the Donna Philpot Award, named in honour of the popular racing identity, who was tragically killed in a track-work accident last year.
It was won by trainer Debbie Wills, who notched four winners from five starters in a two and a half month period with her only two gallopers Ahsha and Special Feeling.
“It was an emotional moment when the announcement of the name for the new award was made, in front of Donna’s family,” the association’s Danny Curran said.
“The 170 strong crowd showed great appreciation of the meaning attached to the name, and also to the worthy winner.”
The awards were announced on Saturday night.
Full awards winners:
Three-year-old: Miss Leonidas.
Sprinter: Glenrowan Prince.
Middle distance: Manhattan Menage.
Stayer: Weave.
Horse of the Year: Glenrowan Prince.
Picnic horse of the year: Fold
Top picnic trainer: Courtney Pace
Strike rate trainer: Kym Hann (18 per cent).
Premier trainer: Kym Hann (13).