Trish Dunell
By Duane Ranger
Cambridge Raceway’s 2018 Dunstan Horse Feeds Horse of the Year title will come down to the wire at the final Waikato-BOP Harness meeting of the season on Sunday.
“I’m pleased it’s not a one-horse race. It’s great to see that there is just six points covering the first five horses and just one between front-runners Credit Master and Somewhereinbrooklyn,” said Dunstan Director and Founder Dave Smith.
“That’s what it’s all about. We want as many people as possible thinking they can win going into the last race of the season. We are delighted with our sponsorship and the way the series has progressed.
“We are again delighted to be associated with such a positive and hard working team at Cambridge Raceway. This is the fourth year we have sponsored Cambridge Raceway and they are such a good crew to work with. We get very good mileage out of this.”
The owners of the of the Dunstan Horse of the Year winner will receive $4,000, the trainer of that horse will receive a $3,000 product prize, the trainer of the second horse with the most points a $2,000 product prize and trainer of third horse a $1,000 product prize and in the event of a tie the prize will be shared.
“Dunstan Feeds also needs to be applauded for its support of the club and our horses. This has proved to be a very popular series and we can’t thank them enough,” said Cambridge Raceway CEO Dave Branch.
Cambridge horseman Andrew Neal said he and his wife Lyn would be doing their utmost to maintain their lead with Credit Master heading into Sunday’s meeting.
“He won well here at the club's last meeting on January 7 and then failed at Alexandra Park,” he said.
“He's slowly coming to it that way but has a lot to learn right-handed. Hopefully he will come right next season, but he loves Cambridge and it would great for him to be Horse-of-the-Year. He certainly deserves it.”
"It's a super concept and they are very good sponsors and supports of our club. If Credit Master does win it, it will mean a great deal to myself, Lyn and the owners.”
Points going into Sunday's meeting are as follows:
| Credit Master (Andrew & Lyn Neal, Cambridge) | 26 Points |
| Somewhereinbrooklyn (Frank Cooney & Tate Hopkins, Taupaki) | 25 Points |
| SirHenry Castleton (Warren Taylor, Morrinsville) | 22 Points |
| Emily Blunt (Ross Paynter, Cambridge) | 21 Points |
| Ardent Lustre(Steve Telfer, Ardmore) | 20 Points |
| Willedu(Eddie Clarke, Pukekohe) Christanna (Mike Berger, Cambridge) Danke(Geoff Martin, Cambridge) | 17 Points 17 Points 17 Points |
Points for the Horse of the Year series are allocated as follows: Mobile races: barrier 1,2,3,4 = five points; 5,6,9,10 = seven points; 7,8,11-16 & ur = eight points. Standing start: Front = five points; 10m = six points; 20m = seven points; 30m = eight points; 40m = nine points. Every horse that places second in a totalisator race will receive two points.
