BEST OTAGO HORSE
It has not been a vintage year for Otago horses in the big races but - by the same token - there have been some pretty nice Otago-trained standardbreds appearing on tracks around Australasia this season and here are the best of them.-
The contenders: Ballindooley won seven races this season - five of them at Forbury Park - including the 4 & 5yr-old championship in early April. He also set a track record just two starts later so is a worthy runner-up.
The Fiery Ginga had his usual busy season with 30 starts, racking up seven wins, and some group placings behind I Can Doosit and Stig; Better To Be Bad barely threw in a bad start over her 21 attempts this season, winning four of them including the Southern Belle Speed Series in a mile time of 1.54.4.
King Kenny turned into a beast in early 2013, but injury curtailed his season yet again.
The winner: If the Rowe Cup was 3250m rather than 3200m, Springbank Sam would have toppled Stig in the time-honoured trotting feature - and David Butt's salute on Stig right in front of ''Sam's'' nose just rubbed salt into the wound.
Regardless, the 5yr-old trotter won almost $100,000 this season, courtesy of five wins and four placings, and could be a serious contender next season in a constantly shifting open-class scene.
BEST OTAGO DRIVER
There is a seven-length winner here in the form of Matthew Williamson.
He is only the fourth junior driver in history to record 100 wins in a season, and the first driver from Otago-Southland to reach the milestone.
Jonny Cox had his best season in the sulky with 50 wins, while Brad Williamson reached 20 wins for the first time.
Graeme Anderson's solitary win at Oamaru does not quite make the grade for this elite group ...
BEST OTAGO TRAINER
This is more of a blanket finish, but master trotting trainer Phil Williamson gets the nod here.
The Oamaru horseman has prepared 41 winners this season, despite having some time on the invalids' list due to cracked ribs over the summer.
Geoff and Jude Knight went one better than last year, picking up 36 wins, while Graeme Anderson and Amber Hoffman ended their training association with 27 wins to date this year.
They need just one more win before the end of the month to finish up with 100 training wins as a partnership.
FAVOURITE INTERVIEW
Talking to the 99-year-old Graham ''Toby'' Robertson after his dual sulky ride behind Expressionist at Forbury Park earlier this year, I struggled to believe he is knocking on the door of triple figures.
By all reports, he got back to Alexandra later that night and coerced his fellow syndicate member in for a whisky at 12.45am. I'm pretty much a third of his age, and I'm usually in bed by midnight after a night out ...
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Injuries. What we saw of King Kenny this season was outstanding, particularly his last two wins, and it was a shame to see him sidelined with another suspensory problem.
Armbro Demon has not been seen since October, and I just hope her Oamaru trainer-breeder Chris McLeod is greeted with good news when he gives her one last go next month.
BEST RACE MEETING
Other than the intense negotiations I had with the gentleman on the gate to get in, Roxburgh was a cracking day. A competitive Roxburgh Cup won by Poacher; a drama-filled mares' race which was decided in the minuscule inquiry room in favour of Pembrook's Delight (I still maintain the locals would have found an inventive way to burn down the concrete administration block if she had been put out); stunning weather and a Jimmy's pie count of two mince and cheeses to maintain my sustenance.
COMMON SENSE AWARD
The decision reached by consensus among trainers, drivers, club officials and stipendiary stewards to re-run a race following the four-horse crash at Forbury Park on March 28 was a victory for pragmatism and reaching the right result for all.
All horses were checked by the vets, all drivers were good to go, and all it meant was a slightly later finish, while still ensuring owners and punters did not miss out.
