Darby Racing Fillies crowned 2YO & 3YO Australian horses of the year
What a massive thrill for both Darby Racing, our owners, trainers and staff last night at the Australian Horse of the year awards for 2016/17, after our 2YO Golden Slipper winning filly, 'She Will Reign' took out the Australian 2YO of the year award and 3YO multiple Group 1 winning filly, Yankee Rose', took out the 3YO Fillies award.
It has been an amazing past couple of years with both fillies securing two Group 1 victories each and both returning prize money well beyond expectation and their price tag.
Yankee Rose, the daughter by All American and trained to perfection, care and pride by David Vandyke, was retired from racing recently after succumbing to niggling injuries, with the award of champion 3YO filly of the year, capping off an amazing career with 10 starts - 4 wins - 1 - 2nd and 1 - 3rd, earnings over $2million in prize money.
Yankee Rose ran 2nd in the 2016 Golden Slipper before winning effortlessly in the 2016 Group 1 Sire's Produce.
Yankee Rose returned as a 3YO with a win against the boys in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes before running her heart out in the 2016 Cox Plate, to finish 3rd, behind the champion mare Winx and a head away from Hartnell.
What Yankee Rose has done for her owners, trainer and syndicator, cannot be put into words, she will be sorely missed and forever remembered.
Congratulations to all her owners and supporters on such and amazing career.
Our boom filly, 'She Will Reign' won this years Golden Slipper emphatically after taking out also the Group 2 Silver Slipper and the Listed Inglis Nursery in December.
She Will Reign confirmed her status as possibly one of the most exciting 3YO prospects in Australia for some time, when returning last week in the Group 1 Moir stakes against the older horses, coming from an impossible position and storming to victory. She Will Reign now holds favoritism for the $10million Everest race run this Saturday at Randwick.
She will Reign trained by Gary Portelli at Warwick Farm has been labelled a freak by trainer and many close to the camp and with only one loss on a heavy 15 track from 6 starts, who could argue at this stage. A win on Saturday would certainly elevate her status as one of the best 2YO/3YO fillies we have seen for sometime in Australia. Winning the Australian 2YO horse of the year was certainly well recieved.
Congratulations to all her owners and best of luck to us all on Saturday
