The winners of the prestigious 2020-21 Victorian Breeders Awards have been revealed in a small celebration last night.
Written Tycoon was awarded the Champion Victorian Sire award after his progeny amassed $17,035,983 in prizemoney across the 2020-21 season.
Rosemont Stud was crowned the Champion Victorian Breeder award after their Rosemont-bred horses collected $6,328,392 in earnings.
Stud Principal Anthony Mithen and the rest of the Rosemont Stud team were celebrating after the Gnarwarre-based operation were crowned Champion Victorian Breeder.
Rosemont-bred runners collected $6,328,392 in earnings, putting them ahead of Gilgai Farm ($5,813,956) and Woodside Park Stud ($4,159,997).
With Written Tycoon having become the first Victorian stallion in recent times to top the Australian Sires Premiership, the awards night celebrated the current strength and depth of the Victorian breeding industry.
Written Tycoon’s progeny amassed $17,035,983 in prize money across the 2020-21 season. Written Tycoon’s speedy son Finance Tycoon, who won the 2021 edition of The VOBIS Sires Showdown, was also recognised with the VOBIS Horse of the Year award.
Racing and breeding powerhouse Godolphin took home two awards on the night after being named both the VOBIS Nominator of the Year and VOBIS Owner of the Year; whilst Frosted – who stands at Darley’s Northwood Park farm – was crowned the Champion Victorian First Season Sire.
The ghostly grey made a big impression in his first Australian season, producing two Stakes winners and four Stakes performers from just 16 runners to end the 2020-21 campaign as the country’s joint leading first-season sire for Stakes wins. Frosted’s progeny collected $1,348,386 during the 2020-21 campaign, with Cable Bay ($522,080) and Rebel Dane ($316,980) rounding out the top three in the Champion First Season Sire Category.
Yulong’s magnificent mare Hungry Heart was also the winner of two awards, scooping both the Champion Victorian Bred Racehorse and Champion Victorian Bred 3YO prizes. With points awarded for Stakes wins (from four for a Group 1 down to one for a Listed race), the two-time Group 1 winner amassed a total of 11 points and, with earnings of $1,293,850, pipped the Jamie Richards-trained Need I Say More to the prize in both categories.
Burnewang North bred Need I Say More also accrued 11 points thanks to four Stakes wins from five appearances in New Zealand, but trailed Hungry Heart in prizemoney with earnings of $216,864. Group 1 New Zealand Derby winner Rocket Spade, bred by Sun Stud, who like Need I Say More races predominantly across the Tasman Sea, finished third in both categories with 10 points.
Hungry Heart’s exploits helped her dam, Harlech, claim the Champion Victorian Broodmare title ahead of Bo Bardi (Need I Say More) and Affairoftheheart (Rocket Spade).
Turning to the leading juvenile crop, connections of On the Bubbles ($648,223) were popping the champagne after the Brazen Beau colt took out the Champion Victorian Bred 2YO title ahead of Godolphin’s Arcaded, who also accrued five points but earned some $344,773 less than On the Bubbles.
The other VOBIS award presented on the night, the VOBIS Trainer of the Year, was won by the all-conquering partnership of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
Maher and Eustace operate one of the biggest stables in Australia but at the other end of the scale, the Leading Victorian Small Breeder category – open exclusively to breeders with fewer than five broodmares on their books – went to Holloway Equine.
Holloway Equine claimed the prize with total prizemoney of $2,397,754, thanks to the deeds of Excellent Proposal. Holloway Equine bred the son of Exceed and Excel who won three of four starts in Australia before being sold to connections in Hong Kong, where his three victories have included success in the Listed Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin.
The third edition of the Inglis Service to the Industry award, was awarded to Simon Vivian. Simon who has spent more than four decades in the industry, after commencing his career at Coles Brothers in Adelaide in 1997 and then joining Inglis in 2004. He was promoted to Bloodstock Manager of Inglis in 2016.
Simon also enjoyed stints in Western Australia, Queensland, the UK and Asia before joining Inglis where he became the company’s South Africa representative in 2009.
Simon was humbled by the announcement and was very appreciative of being recognised by the industry for his service and commitment.
The third edition of the Digital Media Creations Rising Star Award was awarded to Sam Matthews of Swettenham Stud.
Well respected by his peers, he is an integral part of Swettenham Stud. Sam who is always a helping hand to those who need it, has continued to work tirelessly to improve his knowledge since his commencement in the industry.
James O’Brien, President of Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria: “I would like to congratulate all the winners of the awards. The award winners are a testament to the strength of the Victorian breeding industry. The Spring has highlighted that with the wins of the major races across the country.”
“The winners are very worthy award winners and their success on the track highlights why the best place to breed is in Victoria. We have the ideal climate, support from the State Government and Racing Victoria and an exceptional stallion roster, headed up by the Australian reigning Champion, Written Tycoon.”
“Written Tycoon’s rise to the top has cemented a new chapter for the Victorian breeding industry.
It is extremely exciting to see the successes of the Victorian stallion roster flying the flag across the country at the elite level.
We have been talking about the momentum in Victoria for a few years, this is highlighted by Written Tycoon winning the Australian Sires premiership and the Champion Victorian Sire.
I would like to congratulate everyone who has helped to get him to where he is today and wish Yulong all the best with him for the future.”
“I would like to also congratulate Simon Vivian and Sam Matthews of Swettenham Stud for their contribution to the industry, which has been recognised by their peers.”
The full list of award winners can be found below:
