RWWA Announces 2018 Thoroughbred Regional Racing & Apprentice Jockey Award Winners
28 September, 2018
Events
The first combined awards ceremony to celebrate Apprentice Jockeys and Thoroughbred Racing across regional Western Australia was held at The Westin in Perth on Thursday 27 September.
The Peter Fernie-trained Senorita Bonita was crowned top thoroughbred after a consistent season of racing. The Scandal Keeper mare secured seven victories including a winning haul of five consecutive races at Esperance between December and February.
Fernie was also in the winner’s list as Leading Provincial Trainer. Kalgoorlie’s leading horseman unearthed several promising gallopers during the Goldfields season with Husson gelding Pym’s Royale, a winner of five straight races, Little Fish and Mervyn his stable headliners.
Brodie Kirby’s breakout season was recognised when he took out Leading Outer Provincial Apprentice Jockey, Leading Regional Apprentice Jockey and Leading Provincial Jockey, a coveted award he shared with champion senior rider William Pike.
Kirby’s season highlight came at Albany in February when he partnered one of the outsiders, Long Knife, to a half-length victory in the TABtouch Fitzpatrick Plate (1230m).
Pike won two of the big races at Kalgoorlie: the Hannans Handicap (1400m) on Disposition and the Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m) aboard Shinta Mani.
Mature-aged apprentice, Jade McNaught, in her first season of riding, was successful in two major awards: Trainee of the Year and Leading Country Apprentice Jockey.
McNaught, from an equestrian background, has ridden 21 winners to August after she commenced her apprenticeship in Albany, riding her first race on Mighty Quick.
Kelvin Moore was presented with the Country Racing Lifetime Achievement Award, Erin Parke, from ABC TV, won Best Regional Racing Feature Story and REDFM breakfast host and former WA Country Cups ambassador, Alana McLean, was honoured as Regional Racing Media Personality.