BROWNIE'S BLOG: THE AWARDS SEASON IS UPON US AGAIN - WILL THE GATOR EXTINGUISH THE FIRE?

By Damian Browne | Friday, August 28, 2020

It’s ‘Awards’ Season again and, like everything else, the ‘normal’ award’s event evenings will be impacted by Covid-19 … but a winner is a winner and the 2019/20 season awards will reflect the names of those who have done something right throughout the season.

Apart from the prestige, I think there is value in winning … for example … a trainer or jockey of the year award because it adds value to your profile, particularly if you are ever looking to go internationally. Places like Hong Kong and Singapore like to that sort of thing on your resume so it does add value in that respect.

Most of the awards have clear-cut winners … jockey’s premierships, trainer’s premierships etc … but every now and then an award has a controversial outcome. I’ve been involved in a few of those in my time.

Perhaps one of the most interesting awards is the Scobie Breasley Medal which is awarded to a jockey in Victoria. This is different to other racing awards in that it is the stewards who vote, and therefore effectively do the judging. Stewards give points on a 3-2-1 basis at meetings for what they consider to be the best rides of the day and the total at the end of the season dictates the winner.

Damian Oliver has just won no less than his eleventh Scobie Breasley Medal … that is in the awards 26-year history. That is obviously a very dominant performance in terms of this award. I think if you look at Victoria, where Craig Williams has won the Metropolitan Premiership, if you ask people about a good jockey in Melbourne, the first one that comes to mind would be Oliver.

For him still to be riding at the top level like he is after all of these years is just a phenomenal achievement so I think the stewards probably got it right … although, being a steward’s decision, I’m surprised someone hasn’t come out and appealed. Just kidding!

I wonder if it might be an idea to have an award where jockeys vote for jockeys and trainers vote for trainers… for who they feel has been their pin up jockey or trainer for the year.

Jockeys voting for the steward of the year … ok, maybe not that one.
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The Queensland Horse Of The Year is the major honour locally.

My leaning is towards Alligator Blood … purely because he did it around the country. Rothfire has obviously also done a great job, but I think if you are able to compete successfully around the country it gives you higher marks.

Rothfire will hopefully still go on to do that but Alligator Blood has already got those runs on the board. You ask Victorians and New South Welshmen right now to name a horse from Queensland and I would say that ninety-five percent would say Alligator Blood.

It used to be the same back in the day with Buffering.

Rothfire has done exceptionally well, but he still has to have the opportunity to step up to the next level … which he will now get. Not everybody survives that test though, not only through ability but through the myriad of things that can go wrong.

The Tony Gollan trained Zoustyle was a prime example of this. He carried all before him in Brisbane but, for a variety of reasons, failed to fire down south. You get beaten down there and the southerners don’t even remember the horse’s name.

In a similar sort of vein, that is where Rothfire is now, He has still got to go down south and win down there for them to take any real notice of him, whereas Alligator Blood has already established that presence.

That should help put into perspective what Alligator Blood has achieved.
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Yes, I’ve done it … I’ve taken the step into racehorse ownership.

I play a bit of cricket with Brendan Jones. He is a helluva nice guy and he is just starting out training in his own right and I thought if I could help give him a bit of a hand and promote him it might bring him a couple of owners. It might not.

Brendan has worked with the top trainers on the Downs … Kevin Kemp and Rex Lipp. He would have learned a bit there, so, like I said, I’m happy to support him, help get his name out there, hopefully help get him a few horses and see if he can get a bit of a kick along.

I’m in a horse called Seeyalatergator … it’s a bit of a name with attitude. His got another horse called Child Support … horses whose names are a bit of fun.

While it is nice to be involved on a new level, I don’t think I have to worry about my ownership career getting out of hand.

My wife Kim doesn’t really like the thought of it, so I’ve got a pretty good hand-break!

We’ll see how we go.

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