Cups King Eyes Third Fred Hoysted Medal
- Thursday, 22 July 2010 00:44
Australian Racing Hall of Fame Legend Bart Cummings is vying for a record third Fred Hoysted Medal after today being revealed as one of five finalists for Victoria’s highest training honour.
The Medal, which is sponsored by Radio Sport 927, is awarded to the most outstanding trainer of the season based on performances on Victorian racetracks.
The winner will be announced at the Victorian Thoroughbred Racing Awards presented by Tabcorp on Sunday night, 8 August at Crown’s Palladium.
A selection committee headed by the Australian Trainers Association nominates a finalist every two months throughout the season, taking into account training performances during that period.
The five finalists announced today are;
- Mick Price (August/September)
- Bart Cummings (October/November)
- David Hayes (December/January)
- Peter Moody (February/March)
- Robert Smerdon (April/May)
The sixth and remaining finalist, the trainer who excels during the months of June and July, will be announced on Wednesday, 4 August.
Cummings was selected as a finalist for his phenomenal 2009 Spring Racing Carnival which yielded Group 1 victories in the BMW Caulfield Cup (Viewed), Tatts Cox Plate (So You Think), David Jones Toorak Handicap (Allez Wonder) and the Crown Oaks (Faint Perfume).
The 82-year-old won his first Fred Hoysted Medal in 2000 and added a second to his trophy cabinet last year.
Price earned his selection after an impressive start to the season which culminated with a trebleat Caulfield on 19 September where he captured the opening Group 1 race of 2009-10, the Rokk Ebony Underwood Stakes, with Heart Of Dreams.
Hayes, the 2007 Medallist, won selection for a memorable double at Flemington on 30 January when Nicconi captured the opening leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, the Group 1 Coolmore Lightning Stakes, and European import Our Aqaleem won on debut in Australia. Our Aqaleem was first up following a two-and-a-half-year absence after twice fracturing his pelvis.
Moody was the dominant trainer throughout the 2010 Melbourne Festival of Racing landing a hat trick of Group 1 titles thanks to Typhoon Tracy in the Orr Stakes and Rokk Ebony Futurity Stakes, both run at Caulfield, and Wanted in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
Smerdon was selected after training a record seven winners during the Tabcorp Warrnambool May Racing Carnival including the victors of the 3YB Brierly Steeplechase (Some Are Bent) and Sungold Milk Galleywood Hurdle (Black And Bent).
During an amazing month Smerdon also captured the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes at Flemington with Persian Star and prepared a treble at Moonee Valley on 29 May.
A range of awards will be presented alongside the Fred Hoysted Medal on 8 August including;
- Scobie Breasley Medal presented by Tabcorp
- Tommy Corrigan Medal presented by Thoroughbred Racing Productions
- Staging Connections Victorian Racehorse of the Year Award
- TVN Most Memorable Moment Award
Bookings for Victorian racing’s night of nights can be made by visiting racingvictoria.net.au/events or by calling Customer First on 1300 139 401.
