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With the conclusion of the Sydney carnival most all the big names of racing are headed for the paddock and that means it is time to assess The Roar’s Horse of the Year.
In the last 15 years, only one three-year-old has won the title of Australian Horse of the Year and that was Weekend Hustler in 2007/8.
But this year has been all about the bumper crop of three-year-olds who have continually defeated the older horses.
The award takes into account all racing since August 1st and is limited to five nominations. Due to the extremely competitive pool of horses to nominate from, some excellent horses have missed out.
The Melbourne Cup winner is normally an automatic nomination but Green Moon’s win in the Melbourne Cup and Turnbull Stakes are not enough this year.
Appearance, the winner of the three big Group 1 races for mares, The Myer Classic, Coolmore Classic and Queen of the Turf has also missed out on a nomination.
The biggest snub however may be Fiveandahalfstar who won the VRC Derby in the spring and came back to win autumn’s weight-for-age championship, The BMW.
Added to that, the three-year-old gelding also ran second in the WFA Australian Cup and Ranvet Stakes.
With only five nominations available for the award, the competiveness this year cannot be understated.
In alphabetical order, here are my nominations for the 2012/2013 Horse of the Year.
All Too Hard
Entering the season with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Black Caviar’s half-brother had an awful start to the season.
The colt started his spring in Sydney but had no luck in his first three starts. In his third start of the season, he took on the older horses for the first time in the Group 1 George Main Stakes but could finish no better than fourth.
Trainers Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes persisted the horse was still talented but doubts were building.
The son of Casino Prince had always been targeted at the Caulfield Guineas but received no love due to the short price of Pierro in the race. Taking full advantage of a poor ride by Nash Rawiller on Pierro, Dwayne Dunn stormed down the centre of the track to steal victory.
From there, All Too Hard went to the Cox Plate and delivered the run of his career where he looked the winner at the 150m mark before being pipped on the post by Ocean Park.
Returning in the autumn under a new owner, All Too Hard came back better and stronger and went straight to WFA class in the C.F Orr Stakes where he won his second Group 1. Two weeks later, the colt claimed his third in the Futurity Stakes in a star studded field.
A virus on the morning of the Group 1 Australian Guineas where he was unbeatable saw him scratched.
Recovering in time for the final Group 1 of the Sydney carnival, The All Aged Stakes, he meet champion More Joyous in a much anticipated showdown and came out on top in brilliant fashion.
Finishing the season with four Group 1 victories as well as running second in the Cox Plate, All Too Hard will be sorely missed as he prepares for retirement after Royal Ascot.
Black Caviar
Due to an injury sustained at Royal Ascot last year, the champion mare was ruled out of the spring.
Racing for the final season when she recovered in time for autumn, she lined up the race named in her honour, The Black Caviar Lightning Stakes where she claimed her 23rd straight victory.
She then went to Moonee Valley for the William Reid Stakes. At the Friday night meeting, 35,000 people gathered to see her run her final race in her home state of Victoria as she strolled home to win by four lengths.
The TJ Smith Stakes was eventually revealed to be her final race before she entered retirement. Undefeated in 25 starts which included 15 Group 1s, she overtook Kingston Town’s record for most Group 1 victories by and Australian horse.
Beyond what happens on the turf, Black Caviar has done amazing things for racing and that has been illustrated by the amount of people she has bought to the racetrack, many of whom have zero interest in racing.
Her season delivered three Group 1 victories where she destroyed all that lined up against her.
It’s A Dundeel
The New Zealand raider arrived in Australia in the spring and put together three victories together before being nominated for the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes.
In one of the races of the carnival, he dogged it out all the way to the line against Priosir to claim his first Group 1.
From there, he looked the ideal Derby colt and trainer Murray Baker agreed. Lining up next in the Moonee Valley Vase, a big upset was caused when Super Cool gave It’s A Dundeel his first defeat.
The run was forgiven when he lined up in the Derby as the warm favourite but the quick pace of the race played against him and he finished a disappointing seventh.
Returning in the autumn, It’s A Dundeel became just the fifth horse to win the three-year-old triple crown by claiming Group 1 victories in the Ranwick Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and AJC Derby.
What was most impressive though was the dominance the High Chaparral colt won with.
Ridden hands and heels, he won the Rosehill Guineas by seven lengths and then streeted away with the AJC Derby by six lengths.
He then stepped up to WFA class for the first time in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes and started the clear favourite but was unfortunately undone again by a quickly run race.
Trying to close the big gap, he made ground from last but ran second behind Reliable Man by two and a half lengths.
Despite an unlucky end to the year, It’s A Dundeel was still phenomenal across both the spring and autumn delivering four Group 1 victories which included the three-year-old triple crown.
Ocean Park
Ocean Park had been briefly seen in Australia during this three-year-old season but no one knew how dominant he would become as a four-year-old.
Targeting the Cox Plate, trainer Garry Hennessy planned the traditional lead up through all the Group 1 WFA races.
Claiming the Group 1 Mafki Stakes back in his home country of New Zealand at the beginning of his preparation, he was then sent to Australia for the spring.
Winning the Underwood Stakes in his next start with a beautiful ride by Glen Boss, he went on to win the Caulfield Stakes in his next start from a fast-finishing Alcopop.
Finally the Cox Plate had arrived and despite winning all the lead up races, Ocean Park started second favourite behind Pierro.
Camped midfield most of the journey, Boss pulled out six wide as they entered the sharp Moonee Valley bend but had plenty of ground to make.
By the 200m mark, he had made ground but All Too Hard had gone to the front and had two lengths on Ocean Park.
Grinding away, Boss reduced the lead down to one length at the 100m mark and took the lead at the 50m mark to score by a head from All Too Hard.
Starting the short priced favourite a week later in the Mackinnon Stakes, the son of Thorn Park had come to the end of his preparation and ran third behind Alcopop.
Returning back to autumn racing in New Zealand, Ocean Park struggled in his first run but returned to form in the Group 1 New Zealand Stakes before jet-setting off to Dubai for the $5 million Dubai Duty Free.
An injury sustained in the Dubai Duty Free saw the Kiwi finish at the tail of the field and prompted immediate retirement.
Throughout the course of the season, Ocean Park claimed three Australian WFA Group 1s as well as two in New Zealand.
Pierro
The champion two-year-old from last season returned to racing in the same manner of dominance he showed as a juvenile.
Winning the Group 3 Run to the Rose in his first start, he travelled down to Melbourne for the first time in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes where he won comfortably by five lengths.
He entered the Caulfield Guineas undefeated in eight starts and was the unbackable favourite at the $1.20 mark.
Winning should have been a formality but an uncharacteristically poor ride by Nash Rawiller left Pierro labouring over the final 100m to be beaten by half a length.
By Lonhro, 2040m was always within Pierro’s capability and most had forgiven his poor run in the Caulfield Guineas enough for him to start favourite in the Cox Plate.
As they entered the straight, Pierro flew home down the outside to defeat highly talented horses but still finished third behind Ocean Park and All Too Hard.
Coming back in the autumn, he won the Group 1 Hobartville Stakes before Gai Waterhouse opted to step up against the older horses in WFA class.
Pierro’s next start came in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes where he met champion mare More Joyous. Running the Sydney direction, Pierro proved too strong and claimed his first WFA victory.
Next up was the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes where Pierro held off 10-time Group 1 winner King Mufhasa. Allotted a whooping 57kg in the Doncaster Handicap, he would have broken all sorts of records for three-year-olds had he won.
The weight eventually proved too much but he still finished a gallant second. It was his first defeat in Sydney.
Across the season, Pierro had eight starts and never finished worse than third. It included two WFA Group 1s, second in another two Group 1s and third in the Cox Plate.
The Verdict
Writer Alfred Chan: All Too Hard
Roar Racing Editor Justin Cinque: Ocean Park
Roar Editor Tristan Rayner: Black Caviar
Roar Expert Andrew Hawkins: Black Caviar
Roar Expert Cameron Rose: All Too Hard
What a competitive field!
The Roar is all about your sports opinion so with no clear winner amongst the resident tipsters can our Roarers break the deadlock?
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