Colt Thirty One wins UBET Harness Horse of the Year

Victoria Derby-winning three-year-old Colt Thirty One was crowned Queensland Harness Horse of the Year at the 2018 UBET Queensland Harness awards in Brisbane on Sunday.  

The award capped a night of accolades for trainer Grant Dixon, who was again recognised as the Queensland Trainer of the Year. The Dixon stable also picked up the Queensland Trotter of the Year title with Our Overanova.

Nathan Dawson was crowned Queensland Driver of the Year and Concession Driver of the Year following a highly successful season in which he steered more than 200 winners statewide. Pete McMullen was also recognised for winning his first Metropolitan Drivers’ premiership.

The Kevin and Kay Seymour-owned Colt Thirty One also picked up the award for Three-Year-Old Pacer of the Year, while Group 1 winning juvenile Smart As Camm Be won Two-Year-Old Pacer of the Year and Filly or Mare of the Year.

Bodhi Tree capped his remarkable return to the racetrack and to form by winning the Aged Pacer of the Year award.

Kevin and Kay Seymour’s Solid Earth Pty Ltd also won the awards for Owner and Breeder of the Year. The dam of Colt Thirty One, Charm Personified, was named Queensland Broodmare of the Year.

Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell said the awards night was an important opportunity for the industry to join together and celebrate all they had achieved in the past season.

“Racing is a 24/7 industry and it’s not often participants get the time to stop and celebrate their achievements, which is why nights like these are so important,” he said.

Mr Parnell thanked the night’s major sponsors UBET for their continued support of the harness racing code in Queensland.

“Without sponsors such as UBET nights like these would not be possible. We must also thank UBET for their generous $120,000 sponsorship of this year’s Winter Carnival, which allowed Racing Queensland to offer bonuses to attract some of Australia’s best horses and participants to Queensland,” he said.

Racing Queensland also wishes to thank individual award sponsors: Albion Park Harness Racing Club, Marburg Pacing Association, Redcliffe Harness Racing Club, Kevin and Kay Seymour, RadioTAB, QRIC, Garrard’s Horse and Hound, Australian Pacing Gold (APG), Ladies In Racing, McGarry Equine Veterinary Services, Seelite Windows and Doors and Sky Racing.

2018 UBET Queensland Harness Award Winners