Smokin Bandar – Southland Horse of the Year

Everyone enjoyed a great night last night celebrating the best of the 2023 season of harness racing at the Southland Harness Racing Awards at Ascot Park Raceway.

No doubt it will remain a particularly memorable night for Wyndham harness racing trainer and driver Craig Ferguson as he won not only the Southland Harness Achievement of the Year award, but his top earning trotter Smokin Bandar (Monkey Bones) took out the Southland Horse of the Year title as well.

“You grow up coming to these Awards and watch everyone else get up on stage and to win both awards is very pleasing,” Ferguson said.

As a trainer Ferguson won thirty four races, and his horses were placed twenty six times, winning stakes of $373,005.

He was the leading UDR trainer in New Zealand last season for stables with thirty wins or more. His UDR of .5364 was ahead of established trainers Mark and Nathan Purdon (0.4572) and Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan (0.3904).

“I think if you do the best thing by the horse you’re doing the best thing by the owners. The UDR comes along by picking the right races and having the horse ready to go when you race. We’ll take a horse to Canterbury if the race suits, so probably because of that the UDR looks quite good. It also looks after the longevity of the horse as well.”

And he trained Smokin Bandar, Southland’s highest stake earning horse in the season under review. Other good winners for the stable were Wag Star (4), Nutcracker (4), Louies Girl (3) and Da Vinci (3).

“You look at a horse like Da Vinci who we’ve managed to look after from a two year old to a four year old. He’s lightly raced, we’ve picked and chosen his races and now he’s really starting to step up. We could have raced in the Derby but it would probably have been detrimental to him.”

Ferguson says stable hand and junior driver Mark Hurrell is a big part of the barn’s success.

“He spots races for horses that I haven’t even noticed.”

As a driver Ferguson set a new personal best with forty eight winners.

“I’ve noticed that my driving has improved. I’ve been given some good stock to drive. With that comes a bit more pressure and you have to step up to get the job done. Being given nice horses in nice races gives you a bit of confidence as well.”

Ferguson recorded Group placings with Louies Girl – third in the Group One Ace of Diamonds, Smokin Bandar – second in the Group One Dominion Handicap and second in the Group Three Ashburton Trotters’ Sprint and Wag Star – second in the Group Two Southern Supremacy Stakes.

“I’ve love to win a Group One race, that’s the ultimate aim. I’m not a goal setter, I’m just hungry to win races. I’m very driven I guess.”

He also won a heat of the Nevele R series driving Treacherous Gall, won the G2 Macca Lodge/Nevele R Southern Oaks with Treacherous Gall, won the G3 Caduceus Club of Southland/Alabar Fillies Classic driving Flying Ellie and Macca Lodge Northern Southland Cup with Macandrew Aviator.

Ferguson is positive about the way forward for harness racing.

“With Entain coming on board and the amount of discussion about the industry it’s positive. Everyone has different ideas and changes aren’t going to suit everyone. The fact that we’re having discussions and looking to make it better going forward, we’re in a really good way.”

Grey trotter Smokin Bandar was named Southland Horse of the Year.

Owned by Tom and Julie Kilkelly and Holly and Shea Brown he started nine times in the season under review, recording two wins and two seconds for $75,560 in stakes.

He ran second to Oscar Bonavena in the Group One Dominion Handicap at Addington and to Muscle Mountain in the Group Three Ashburton Trotters Sprint.

It’s the second time Kilkelly has won the Southland Horse of the Year title, U May Cullect having won the award in 2019.

Ferguson says Smokin Bandar will race again in two weeks time in Canterbury.

“He’ll stay up there. His name been thrown around for the TAB Trot Slot. No one has made any contact with either Tom or I but it’s still five weeks away so they could be keeping the cards close to their chest. Ideally we just want to aim him towards the good races. Hopefully one day things will go his way and he could pop up and win.”

Other awards announced on the night:

Caduceus Club Trotter of Year: Dwindle Star

Owner: Bev Williamson

Trainer: Phil Williamson

Fastest Mile Rate: Ruby Roe (1-54.9 – Winton 14^th December 2023)

Owners: John and Katrina Price

Trainer: Nathan Williamson

Robin Dundee Club – Three Year Old Filly of the Year – Julie Jaccka

Owners: Ailsa and Charlie Smaill

Trainer: Brett Gray

Robin Dundee Club Three Year Old Gelding of the Year: Captain Tom.

Owners: Ian and Lindsay Thomson

Trainer: Alister Black

Southland Junior Driver of the Year: Mark Hurrell 188-20-25-18 $228,396

Macca Lodge Southland Broodmare of the Year: The Fiery Filly – Tom Kilkelly

In the 2023 season The Fiery Filly was represented by four of her foals. Smokin Bandar from six starts in New Zealand recorded two wins and two seconds banking $75,100. He ran second behind Oscar Bonavena in the G1 Dominion Handicap. Madrik won twice from just seven starts, Fiery Bandito won once, and Burning Love recorded one second.

Southern Standardbred Breeders Elite Broodmare of the Year: Democrat Party – John and Katrina Price

Her three foals of racing age have won collectively twenty four races with Republican Party leading the way with fourteen wins. His feature wins include the Three Year Old Champion Stakes at Ashburton, the Listed Sires Stakes Sophomore, the Group Three Junior Free for All and the Group Two Canterbury Classic. He also won the Group Three Hondo Grattan Stakes at Menangle in 1-52.4.

Advance Party has won four of her twenty starts. Her placing includes a third behind Millwood Nike and Mantra Blue in the Group One Nevele R Fillies Final, second in the Group Two Ladyship Stakes won by Millwood Nike and third in the Group One Caduceus Two Year Old Fillies Classic.

Democrat Party’s first foal Debutante Party has won six of her thirty two starts.

Southland Driver of the Year: Nathan Williamson: 416-58-56-43 $752,211

This is the fifteenth year in a row that Nathan has won the Southland Drivers Premiership. The late Henry Skinner won the title sixteen times.

Donaghy’s Southland Trainer of the Year: Nathan Williamson: 171-36-30-19 $407,022

Feature win: G3 Caduceus Club of Southland /Alabar Two Year Old Fillies Classic (Flying Ellie).

Other winners included: Mr Cashman (4), Durrant (3), Dreams Are Free (3), Miraculous (2), Ruby Roe (2), Flying Without Wings (2) and Itoje (2).

Williamson has now won the Southland Trainers Premiership seven times.

Special guest of the evening was driver Blair Orange who shared some of his experiences when attending the World Driving Championships in Europe last year; an experience he highly recommends, and which he hopes other drivers will have the opportunity to attend in the future.

Sean Daly provided a pacy and enjoyable compering role on behalf of the new Awards committee and I’m sure those in attendance appreciated the revamped format, building a new base on the worthwhile tradition of Awards dinners.

It’s always good to celebrate harness racing – the winners in particular of course. But the awards are an acknowledgement of everyone involved in the harness racing industry who’s constant hard work and enthusiasm provide a high standard of bloodstock and great racing in the south.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink