Winners of the 2020 WA Thoroughbred Awards Announced
Regal Power and its connections took out several honours at this evening’s WA Thoroughbred Awards – including the prestigious 2020 WA Racehorse of the Year – following an impressive season by the 5YO gelding.
Its owners, Bob and Sandra Peters, took out the Leading Breeder awards, whilst successful training duo Grant and Alana Williams won the Leading Metropolitan Trainer award. The pair, responsible for 104 winners and over $4.8 million in prizemoney, had an impressive strike rate of 31% in the past season.
Champion rider William Pike celebrated another outstanding term by taking home the award for 2020 Leading Metropolitan Jockey. Pike, who broke his own Australian record for number of wins in a season, posted 239 victories in the 2019/20 racing season.
With 124 wins, 103 of which were at provincial race meetings, Kyra Yuill was awarded Leading Provincial Jockey.
Jade McNaught won the Leading Apprentice Jockey award, whilst Chloe Azzopardi was recognised as the Best All Round Apprentice.
The Leading Provincial Trainer award was presented to Peter Fernie, after he produced 78 winners for $1.6 million in prizemoney last season, 66 wins of which were at provincial race meetings.
The award for 2YO Racehorse of the Year went to the Steve Wolfe-trained filly Watch me Dance, who claimed the Group 3 Amelia Park WA Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), and ran second in the in the Gimcrack Stakes (1100m) and Karrakatta Plate (1200m).
Kingston Town and Burgess Queen winner Kay Cee, trained by Neville Parnham, won the category 3YO Racehorse of the Year. The daughter of Playing God also enjoyed a golden winter campaignby taking out a feature race double by taking out the Listed Raconteur Stakes (1400m) and the Listed WAROA-Belmont Guineas (1600m).
Champion WA stallion Blackfriars was awarded Leading Sire, with Broadway Belle and Star Encounter recognised as Leading Broodmares.
Channel 9’s Paddy Sweeney also took out the 2020 Thoroughbred Media Award for the third year in a row.
RWWA Chairman Jeff Ovens said RWWA was honoured to recognise and applaud the award winners and their commitment to the Western Australian racing industry.
“It is important to have awards that actively acknowledge the successes of our industry, and to reflect on the outstanding achievements that were made in the previous season,” Mr Ovens said.
“All of the award winners should be very proud of their contributions, and have deservedly been celebrated this evening for the vital role they play for racing in WA.”
2020 WA Thoroughbred Award Winners:
- 2020 WA Racehorse of the Year – Regal Power
- 2020 2YO Racehorse of the Year – Watch Me Dance
- 2020 3YO Racehorse of the Year – Kay Cee
- 2020 4UP Racehorse of the Year – Regal Power
- 2020 Leading Metropolitan Jockey – William Pike
- 2020 Leading Metropolitan Trainer – Alana & Grant Williams
- 2020 Leading Provincial Jockey – Kyra Yuill
- 2020 Leading Provincial Trainer – Peter Fernie
- 2020 Leading Apprentice Jockey (Metropolitan and Provincial) – Jade McNaught
- 2020 Best All Round Apprentice – Chloe Azzopardi
- 2020 Leading Sire – Blackfriars
- 2020 Leading Broodmare – Broadway Belle and Star Encounter
- 2020 Leading Breeder – Peters Investments
- 2020 Thoroughbred Media Award – Paddy Sweeney