The Caulfield Cup winner has added the 2016 title to his 2015 crown.
His latest triumph was announced at the NZ Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards dinner in Auckland last night.
The Horse of the Year award was introduced in 1972 and Mongolian Khan is the seventh horse, following Show Gate, Rough Habit, Mufhasa, Seachange, Xcellent and Sunline, to have earned the title more than once.
Mongolian Khan, who will begin his stud career this spring at Windsor Park Stud, followed a stellar 3yr-old season by decisively beating a high-class international field in the Caulfield Cup in October.
He became the first New Zealand-trained Caulfield Cup winner since Ethereal in 2001.
Mongolian Khan was a unanimous winner of the champion stayers’ category for the 2015-16 season but the battle for horse of the year was much tighter, Mongolian Khan heading off Cambridge stablemate Turn Me Loose by just one vote.
Both horses, who are trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, starred in Australia during the 2015-16 season and Turn Me Loose won two categories last night, being voted both champion sprinter and champion middle-distance horse.
Xtravagant, a group 1 winner in his own age-group and also against the older horses, was 3yr-old of the year, and Sacred Elixir the champion 2yr-old.
Jack Romanov and Sea King dead-heated in voting for champion jumper and will be joint winners.
Premiership winners Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards claimed the trainer of the year title but were just one vote clear of the Baker and Forsman partnership.
Lisa Allpress added the jockey of the year title to her riding premiership and Wellington owner Lib Petagna, who races under the JML Bloodstock banner, was owner of the year.
Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan, who bred group 1 winners Tarzino, Tavago and Preferment, earned the breeder of the year award and Bagalollies, the dam of Hong Kong horse of the year Werther, was broodmare of the year.
The prestigious New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing award for outstanding contribution to New Zealand racing was shared by Gerald and the late Rex Fell.
The Fell brothers ran Fairdale Stud, in Manawatu, for many years and both men made significant contributions to racing administration in the Central Districts. They worked together for 50 years, until Rex’s death last April.
Champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller was presented with the NZTR award for outstanding global achievement.
Racing awards
2015-16 season
2yr-old, Sacred Elixir; 3yr-old, Xtravagant; sprinter, Turn Me Loose; middle distance, Turn Me Loose; stayer, Mongolian Khan; jumper, Jack Romanov and Sea King ; trainer, Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards; jockey, Lisa Allpress; jumps jockey, Shaun Fannin; apprentice jockey, Shaun McKay; owner, JML Bloodstock; breeder, Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan; broodmare, Bagalollies; owners’ premiership, Sir Peter Vela; media, Dennis Ryan; trainers’ premiership, Autridge & Richards, jockeys premiership, Allpress; NZ Bloodstock filly of the year, Sofia Rosa; Grosvenor award (stallion earning in NZ), Savabeel; Dewar award (stallion earnings in Australasia), Savabeel; Centaine award (stallion earnings worldwide), Savabeel; outstanding contribution, Gerald Fell and the late Rex Fell; outstanding global achievement, Chris Waller; horse of the year, Mongolian Khan.
