Jockey Jamie Kah and star sprinter Viddora dominate 2017-18 SA Racing Awards
JAMIE Kah and star sprinter Viddora were the big winners at the 2017-18 Thoroughbred racing Racing Awards at Morphettville on Saturday night.
JAMIE Kah and star sprinter Viddora were the big winners at the 2017-18 Thoroughbred racing Racing Awards at Morphettville on Saturday night.
It was a repeat of last year for Kah who was crowned SA Metropolitan Jockey of the Year, SA Provincial and Country Jockey of the Year and SA Jockey of the Year for a second successive year.
Her dominance of the SA riding ranks was capped with another John Letts Medal, SA racing's most prestige honour, her second in as many years and her fourth in her short but stunning career in the saddle.
Viddora beat a gun list of finalists, including outstanding two-year-old Sunlight, to claim the SA Horse of the Year Award.
The Lloyd Kennewell-trained mare was narrowly beaten in the Group 1 Moir Stakes and finished fourth in the Group 1 Manikato — both at Moonee Valley — before giving Kennewell his maiden success at the highest level when she scored an emphatic win the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth.
Her massive season only got bigger when she travelled to the Gold Coast for another dominant win in the $970,000 Magic Millions Snippets banking $1,372,700 in just six trips to the races.
Rising star of the saddle Raquel Clark celebrated her breakout year winning both SA Metropolitan Apprentice of the Year and the SA Apprentice of the Year awards.
SA's premier trainer Tony McEvoy was awarded the SA Metropolitan Trainer of the Year and the CS Hayes Award for the 2017/18 South Australian Trainer of the Year.
Grant Young claimed the title for SA's leading country trainer while Kayla Crowther was SA Provincial and Country Apprentice of the Year.
Clare Lindop formally inducted into the South Australian Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame alongside prolific owner/breeder Harry Perks and Redelva who won the 1990 VRC Lightning Stakes, 1991 MVRC William Reid and the SAJC Spring Stakes on three occasions between 1988 and 1990.
“To have my name sitting alongside the legends of South Australian racing is truly an honour,” Lindop said.
“I am extremely proud of my achievements and the fact that I am part of racing history. I want to thank everyone who helped and supported me throughout my career. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here.”
2017/18 SA RACING AWARDS
SA Horse of the Year — Viddora
John Letts Medal — Jamie Kah
SA Jockey of the Year — Jamie Kah
Metropolitan Jockey of the Year — Jamie Kah
Provincial & Country Jockey of the Year — Jamie Kah
SA trainer of the Year — Tony McEvoy
Metropolitan Trainer of the Year — Tony McEvoy
Provincial and Country Trainer of the Year — Grant Young
Apprentice of the Year — Raquel Clark
Metropolitan Apprentice Jockey of the Year — Raquel Clark
Provincial and Country Apprentice Jockey of the Year — Kayla Crowther
Best Performed Horse — Tequila Time and Exalted Lightning
Jumps Trainer of the Year — Eric Musgrove
Jumps Jockey of the Year — Martin Kelly
Outstanding Achievement Award by a Club — Strathalbyn Racing Club
Outstanding Achievement Award by an Individual — Vilma Vawser
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Hall of Fame Inductees
Associate — Harry Perks
Jockey — Clare Lindop
Horse — Redelva