September 26, 2021

MAYAMEEN has become the first filly to win Top End racing’s highest accolade, when crowned the 2021 Carlton United Breweries Horse of the Year, at the Top End Racing Awards held at the Darwin Turf Club last night.

The win capped off a special night for the Chris Nash-trained daughter of Mulaazem, who was also awarded the Ladbrokes Three-Year-Old of the Year and Sprinter of the Year.

TRNT Chief Executive Andrew O’Toole said last season’s three-year-old filly is a deserving winner of Top End racing’s highest accolade.

“Mayameen’s performances as a three-year-old were enormous and a real highlight of the Great Northern Darwin Cup Carnival,” he said.

“She is the first three-year-old and the first filly to win the bet365 Palmerston Sprint and of course the first filly to win the Horse of the Year since the award’s inception in 1998.”

The forever consistent 2019 and 2020 Horse of the Year, The Captain, was awarded the Out of Carnival Performer of the Year for Gary Clarke, who also took out Champion Trainer of the Year for an incredible ninth year in a row, as well as the Silks Darwin Leading Trainer of the 2021 Great Northern Darwin Cup Carnival.

Clarke’s 71 wins was a seasonal record, eclipsing Stephen Brown’s 66 wins over the 2010/11 season.

Alice Springs Cup winner, I Am The Fox, took out Middle Distance / Stayer of the Year for Garry Lefoe, beating quality finalists including the Angela Forster-trained duo Lotion and Bull Market.

Jockey Jarrod Todd had a night to remember, being awarded Champion Jockey of the Year, Leading Jockey of the 2021 Great Northern Darwin Cup Carnival and the cherished Character of Racing.

Darwin Turf Club chief executive Brad Morgan said it was a fantastic night for industry who come together to recognise and celebrate excellence over the 2020/21 racing season.

“I was glad the industry could spend some time enjoying our new facilities as they are more often than not in the stables on a race day,” he said.

“We can’t thank our industry enough for their patience, flexibility and resilience throughout the year, which has certainly been challenging for everyone.”

The Darwin Turf Club continues to race over the wet season, with the next meet on October 2.

“We are well into planning for the 2022 Great Northern Darwin Cup but before that we have a packed couple of months of racing with some really exciting meetings coming up,” Mr Morgan said.

The full list of winners are as follows: