SPECTACULAR FILLY!

What’s in a name?

Well in the case of champion mare PETACULAR, her name says it all.

Raced by a syndicate of pet product retailer PETstock employees, Petacular has been a specacular filly in her first two seasons of racing for Ballarat trainer-driver Michael Stanley, and breeder Bruce Edward and his Durham Park standardbred nursery.

And for the second year she has been crowned the best of her sex, age and gait in Australia as the Harness Racing Australia 3yo filly pacer of the year.

By Somebeachsomewhere and third winner produced by US-bred broodmare Ideal Priority, Petacular has 15 starts for season for 11 wins and four minor placings, and $249,080 in earnings.

She save her best to last – winning a group 1 Australasian Breeders Crown final at Melton on August 27.

It was he first group 1 victory of the season after seconds in the New South Wales Oaks, Victoria Oaks and Vicbred Super Series finals.

Now a two-time group 1 winner, Petacular’s career standings are now 19 wins and seven minor placings from 26 starts for $454,083.

Ballarat district stables claimed three titles in the HRA horse of the year award, with no surprise to see Victoria’s premier trainer Emma Stewart and the state’s number one trotting trainer Anton Golino among the winners.

NOSTRA VILLA (Emma Stewart) is the 2yo filly pacer of the year and UNE BELLE ALLURE (Anton Golino) the 3yo filly trotter of the year.

PROFILES

NOSTRA VILLA (Art Major-Crystal Journey): 9 starts, 8 wins, 1 minor placing, $269,590

UNE BELLE ALLURE (Angus Hall-Glenferrie Unixa): 11 starts for season, 8 wins, 2 minor placings, $162,520.

And the season honours will not stop there for Ballarat stables with Emma Stewart, Anton Golino, Michael Stanley and Wayne Ronan each with finalists in the Victoria horse of the year awards.

Winners will announced on Gordon Rothacker Medal Night on October 22.

Categories in which they finalists:

• 2yo pacing colts and geldings: *Lumineer (Ange McDowall), Poster Boy (Emma Stewart), Tam Major (Emma Stewart)

• 2yo pacing fillies: Molly Kelly (Emma Stewart), Nostra Beach (Emma Stewart), *Nostra Villa (Emma Stewart)

• 3yo pacing colts and geldings: Jilliby Kung Fu (Marg Lee), Our Little General (Emma Stewart), Stars Align (Dean Braun)

• 3yo pacing fillies: Miss Graceland (Emma Stewart), *Petacular (Michael Stanley), Tell Me Tales (Emma Stewart)

• 4yo pacing mares: Heavens Trend (Emma Stewart), Rocknroll Magic (Emma Stewart), Whirily School (Emma Stewart)

• Aged pacing mares: Ameretto (Kerryn Manning), Bettor Downunder (Wayne Ronan), Milly Perez (Larry Eastman)

• 2yo trotting colts and geldings: La Grange (Anton Golino), Smashthemcalder (Sonya Smith), *Wobelee (Alison Alford)

• 3yo trotting fillies: Dance Craze (Anton Golino), Kinvara Sue (Anton Golino), *Une Belle Allure (Anton Golino)

• 4yo trotting mares: Aldebaran Eve (Anton Golino), Into The Unknown (Donna Lewis), Red Hot Tooth (Kari Males)

Aged trotting mares: Heavenly Sister (Anton Golino), Maori Time (Brent Lilley), *Sunny Ruby (Sonya Smith)

* Australian horse of the year award winners