Stars vie to be state best

THE performances of some of Tasmania’s elite thoroughbreds in the 2019-20 season will have no doubt left the voting panel with plenty to think about when deciding which steed should own the horse of the year title.

Mystic Journey only raced five times but her win in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence and second in the Group 1 Makybe Diva would be enough to win in any other season and she also placed fifth in the Cox Plate.

But along came The Inevitable who captured the inaugural running of the $500,000 Silver Eagle in Sydney before tackling the $7.5 million Golden Eagle.

The Inevitable also won a benchmark 90 at Flemington before scoring a brilliant win in the Chandler Macleod Stakes at Moonee Valley on his way to winning the Silver Eagle at Randwick.

If the performances of those two stars weren’t enough to give the voting panel a headache, add Mandela Effect to the mix.

Mandela Effect won at Flemington at the end of a

long interstate campaign before returning to Tasmania to win the weight-for-age triple crown – the Tasmania Stakes, Thomas Lyons and Mowbray Stakes, all of which are $100,000 Listed events.

Also, in the mix is talented mare Toorak Affair who dominated staying events, winning the Brighton Cup and weight-for-age Summer Cup over 2100m before blitzing her rivals in the Group 3 Hobart Cup (2400m).

Toorak Affair won six of her eight starts in 2019-20 and all on home soil.

The three-year-old title looks a match between Still A Star and Deroche and either would be a deserving winner.

Deroche won a benchmark event at Spreyton before going on to win a string of feature three-year-old races including the 3YO Vase and Carbine Club Stakes before placing second in the $150,000 Group 3 Bow Mistress at Elwick.

The filly went on to win the 3 & 4YO Magic Millions Classic at Mowbray and closed her season three days later with a dominant win in the Group 3 Vamos Stakes (1400m) against older mares.

Still A Star opened her season with victory in the Tasbred

3YO over 1100m before winning the 3YO Cup in which Deroche finished a first-up fifth.

The Bill Ryan-trained filly suffered her only loss in seven starts at her third outing when second to Mystical Pursuit in the 3YO Trophy (1400m) but that paved the way for four consecutive wins to give her a clean sweep of the 3YO Listed events.

Still A Star won the Tasmanian Guineas (1600m) and the Launceston Guineas (2100m) against the boys and she ended her season with wins in the Strutt Stakes and Tasmanian Oaks.

Mystical Pursuit won the 3YO Trophy to be the only one to snare the scalp of Still A Star and she was a game second to that filly in the Strutt Stakes after winning the 3YO Thousand Guineas.

The two-year-old title looks a match between Gee Gee Josie and Le Cadeau.

Gee Gee Josie had five starts for two wins and as many seconds with her only miss being a fourth on debut.

The filly won the Listed $100,000 Elwick Stakes after winning the Alexandra Plate at Mowbray and she finished second in the $150,000 Gold Sovereign Stakes but was the first Tasmanian home behind South Australian filly Jyoti.

Le Cadeau won a maiden and went on to take out the Alfa Bowl and the Tasmanian Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

Other highlights at the awards night at Elwick on September 11 will be all the breeding awards as well as special presentations including the TAN Recognition award as well as the participant awards, such as leading trainer and leading jockey.

Early bookings are essential for the function, which is limited to 220 people.