Superracing review (part one): A glance back at the 2014-15 season
WHAT was the race of the year? Who produced the best ride of the 2014-15 season? Have your say on the highlights of another action-packed season on and off the track.
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WHAT was the race of the year? Who produced the best ride of the 2014-15 season? Have your say on the highlights and lowlights of another action-packed season on and off the track.
RACE OF THE YEAR
IRISH maestro Aidan O’Brien became the first European trainer to win the Cox Plate when his star colt Adelaide swooped down the outside in a thrilling finish to the weight-for-age Australasian championship at Moonee Valley. In the autumn, Criterion emerged victorious in a star-studded Queen Elizabeth Stakes, while Brazen Beau blew away the best sprinters in the country in the Newmarket Handicap, which set him up for a trip to Royal Ascot.
HORSE OF THE YEAR
THE Peter Moody-trained Dissident banked two Group 1s in the spring then returned in the autumn to add another two, with victories in the CF Orr Stakes and All Aged Stakes. West Australian filly Delicacy was the three-year-old find of the season, reeling off six straight wins, including two Group 1s in Adelaide. Sprint star Brazen Beau showed his class with a stunning win in the Newmarket, which followed his triumph in the Coolmore Stud Stakes in the spring.
RIDE OF THE YEAR
ENGLISH jockey Ryan Moore proved his ranking as one of the world’s best jockeys with two cracking rides in Australia’s biggest races — the Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate. Moore stormed around the field to win the Cox Plate on Adelaide then produced a well-timed ride on Protectionist in the Melbourne Cup. Tommy Berry stole the spotlight in the autumn with his cool ride on Vancouver in the Golden Slipper. The star colt drew the widest gate, but Berry managed to get the youngster across and in the perfect position to pounce in the straight. Away from the major races, Paul King deserves mention for his effort on Lovethebeaches at Randwick in June. King showed initiative to make the Stayers Cup a true test of stamina. He let Lovethebeaches roll to a 30-length lead mid-race and his bold tactics paid off when the mare kept going for a five-length win.
PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
A KNOCKABOUT trainer from Longford in Tasmania and his gutsy front-running stayer proved the feel-good story of the spring. Not since 1972 Melbourne Cup winner Piping Lane and 1990 Caulfield Cup winner Sydeston has there been such a talent to pack his bags and travel across Bass Strait. The Cleaner captured the JRA Cup and the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes en route to becoming the first Tasmanian to contest Cox Plate where he ran a creditable ninth before finishing third in the Emirates Stakes.
But what made the story of Mick Burles and The Cleaner ever so special was their quirky travel arrangements. Two packs-a-day Mick cannot fly for health reasons, so they board the Spirit Of Tasmania ferry for a round trip that usually sees them back on the smaller island inside two days. No messing around with these Longford lads.
TRAINER OF THE YEAR
NO surprises to see Australia’s premier trainer Chris Waller pick up his fifth consecutive Sydney trainers’ premiership. He had that title in the bag a long way from home, with Godolphin trainer John O’Shea a distant second. He also collected a record 14 Group 1 trophies around the country, with 13 individual winners. Ballarat trainer Darren Weir won the Melbourne trainers’ premiership by seven wins over Caulfield counterpart Peter Moody.
But it was Moody who finished equal second on the Group 1 list with Gai Waterhouse, both enjoying seven winners at the elite level during the season. Peter and Paul Snowden performed above their own expectations with five Group 1 wins. But it was the emergence of Victorian trainer Ciaron Maher, who also chimed in with three Group 1s of his own to firmly establish himself as a force to be reckoned with in the coming spring.
JOCKEY OF THE YEAR
DAMIEN Oliver secured his 10th Melbourne jockeys’ premiership after finishing with a flourish to run down Dwayne Dunn and Craig Williams in a thrilling climax to the season.
Oliver, who won his first premiership 24 years ago, also grabbed three Group 1 wins, including the Victoria Derby and Mackinnon Stakes in the spring.
Hugh Bowman was the premier Group 1 jockey this season with a personal best nine wins at the elite level.
He rounded out the season by winning his third Sydney jockeys’ premiership. Bowman secured the title on the final day after a great battle with James McDonald and Blake Shinn. McDonald and Shinn were also major players in the big races. McDonald secured six Group 1 wins, while Shinn picked up five.
GIRL POWER
OUR female jockeys really took it to the boys last season as the bottomless pool of talent cashed in regularly around the country.
Linda Meech finally received the recognition she deserved with her maiden Group 1 success when she took out the Coolmore Classic on Plucky Belle.
Sydney’s Winona Costin stamped herself as a genuine star by becoming only the second woman to win the NSW apprentices title.
Clare Lindop became a triple-premiership winning rider in South Australia.
Katelyn Mallyon shone in the south, Lucy Warwick in the west, while Tegan Harrison and sisters Priscilla and Cassandra Schmidt made their presence felt in the north. The list goes on and on.
Originally published as Superracing review (part one): A glance back at the 2014-15 season
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