Champion squaregaiter Lyell Creek was a unanimous choice for harness horse of the year, becoming only the fourth of his gait to achieve standardbred racing's highest horse honour.
He was crowned horse of the year at the annual harness racing awards dinner in Christchurch on Saturday night.
Lyell Creek, owned by New Zealand Racing's Personality of the Year Graham Bruton, trained at West Melton by Tim Butt, and driven by Tim's brother Anthony, attracted all 23 votes in Harness Racing New Zealand's poll.
He emulates No Response (1979), Sir Castleton (dead-heating with Steel Jaw in 1984) and Merinai (1998) as trotting-gaited harness horse of the year winners.
He also followed his sire, the pacing-bred Roydon Glen, who achieved harness horse of the year honours in similar circumstances 15 years ago.
Roydon Glen won all 12 starts as a four-year-old that season, including the Auckland Cup, New Zealand Messenger Championship and Pan Am Mile.
Lyell Creeks crowning was a fitting end to his record-breaking unbeaten season as a six-year-old.
He simply crushed the hearts of his opposition along the way to becoming the first to win trotting's group one triple crown - the Dominion Handicap at Addington, the Melbourne Interdominion Trotting Grand Final, and Auckland's Rowe Cup - all in the same season.
There were no surprises in any of the voting categories.
Four-time Derby winner Stars And Stripes, a unanimous choice for three-year-old pacer of the year, was a runaway winner for overall pacer of the year honours from New Zealand Free-For-All and Sydney Miracle Mile winner Holmes D G.
Holmes Hanover was named stallion of the year for the second time, having previously won the title two years ago.Stock by the Albatross stallion won a record $2,425,122 in New Zealand last season.
Racing: No surprises in harness awards
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.