2018 Greyhound of the Year Awards
The 2018 Greyhound of the Year awards were conducted in a Gala affair on Saturday night at the Gawler Greyhound Racing Club where Honcho Monelli for Trainer Tony Rasmussen and Owners Tim Aloisi and Matthew Lehmann won the prestigious 2018 Greyhound of the Year.
2018 TAB GOTY Award Winners Details
2018 TAB Greyhound of the Year
HONCHO MONELLI
2018 Starts 45-1sts 20, 2nds 12, 3rds 5
(Mogambo x Jackie Bale) Owners – Tim Aloisi & Matthew Lehman
Trainer – Tony Rasmussen
2018 Prizemoney $121,850
Greyhound of the Month – March, May, October & November
- (scored votes in 7 months)
Won – Heat Anniversary Cup (second in Final)
Match Race Series at Sandown
Heat State National Sprint Championship (second in SA Final)
Heat Adelaide Cup (G1 – third in Final)
Heat & Final Gawler Cup (G3)
Second – Heat John Gray Grade 5
Third – State of Origin Match Race Series
Kate’s A Scandal Xmas Sprint
Best Times: 29.42 (515m Angle Park)
35.02 (600m Angle Park)
30.63 (531m Gawler)
29.76 (525m Meadows)
34.77 (600m Meadows)
29.61 (515m Sandown)
HONCHO MONELLI – 35 votes
FABWIK – 26 votes
SHIMA BREEZE – 22 votes
NATIONS – 12 votes
CAIRNLEA JET – 10 votes
2018 SA Bred Greyhound of the Year
FABWIK
2018 SA Sprinting Greyhound of the Year
HONCHO MONELLI
2018 SA Distance Greyhound of the Year
CAIRNLEA JET
2018 TAB Nominations Greyhound of the Year
CAIRNLEA JET
FABWIK
HONCHO MONELLI
NATIONS
SHIMA BREEZE
2018 Greyhound of the Month winners
January – Hukanui – trainer Tony Rasmussen
February – Victa Louise – trainer Robyn Mackellar
March – Honcho Monelli – trainer Tony Rasmussen
April – Cairnlea Jet – trainer Petar Jovanovic
May – Honcho Monelli – trainer Tony Rasmussen
June – Jeebus Bird – trainer Tony Rasmussen
July – Victa Caleb – trainer Mike Giniotis
August – Cairnlea Kenny – trainer Petar Jovanovic
September – Nations – trainer Tony Rasmussen
October – Honcho Monelli – trainer Tony Rasmussen
November – Honcho Monelli – trainer Tony Rasmussen
December – Shima Breeze – trainer Tony Rasmussen
2018 Outstanding Service to Industry Award
Dr. Chris Doyle – Nominated by Jan Jones for his long term contribution to the greyhound racing industry
2018 SA Stud Dog of the Year
Kalden Komoto - 32
Owner/Stud Master – Ray Murray
Kalden Komoto was awarded the leading SA Sire for 2018. In 2018 greyhounds sired by Kalden Komoto won 32 races. His best performed progeny was Panhandle Slim which won 9 races including the 2018 Gawler Produce and was sent to the Victorian kennels of Seona Thompson with great success later in the year winning 3 races. Other handy performers included Bell Tyson (5 wins), Vincent Tyson (4 wins) and Mossy Oak (4 wins).
2018 SA Brood Bitch of the Year
Victa Victoria - 69
Owner – Ron & Joan Schadow
Victa Victoria won the Brood Bitch of the Year with 69 winners in 2018. Her winners came from the El Grand Senor litter which produced 9 pups. All pups in this litter raced and 8 of the 9 all won races.
Victa Kylie was brilliant over the short course winning 13 races while both Victa Caleb winning the Champion Puppy and Victa Ashley winning the Gawler Sprit Classic matched it with the best sprinters in SA with great success winning 12 races each. Both Victa Suzie and Victa Polly won 9 races each.
2018 SA Breeder of the Year
Joan Schadow – 202 points
This was the ninth time this award was presented and was to recognize the outstanding Breeder in the State for 2018. This award is decided on a point’s basis for SA Bred greyhounds that have won races at Sky Racing meetings during 2018 in SA.
Joan had an outstanding year with her brood bitch’s Victa Victoria, Victa Brooke and Victa Explorer supplying a string of winners for the season. Victa Victoria had 1 litter to El Grand Senor which raced and won in 2018 with winners including (Victa Polly 13 wins, Victa Ashley & Victa Caleb 12 wins each). Victa Brooke also had 1 litter race by Fabregas which produced many race winners including the brilliant Victa Louise (15 wins) who won the SA St Leger but who’s career was shortened due to injury. Victa Explorer also had 1 litter race by El Grand Senor and produced Victa Wink (9 wins) and Victa Ollie (8 wins)
2018 SA Owner/Trainer of the Year (Tier 3)
Cameron Butcher - 61
Again Cameron Butcher was the leading Owner/Trainer of the Year with a total of 61 TAB winners in 2018. Cameron had good success with his greyhounds winning many races but his highlight may have been Abuzz smashing the 515m 1st split record by .03 at Angle Park pinging out in a sizzling 4.23. Cameron usually races in partnership with his wife Yvonne and daughter Karen. His winners included Abuzz, On Fire, Time’s Right, Uptime Girl, Hope’s Beau, Jay’s Ace and Aiming.
2018 TAB Leading Trainer of the Year
Tony Rasmussen – 168
Tony Rasmussen made it a three peat of awards as he was awarded the TAB leading Trainer of the Year for the third year in a row, with a total of 168 winners at TAB meetings in SA during 2018 increasing from his 157 from last year. Tony received great support again from his wife Lisa who again came third in this year’s leading trainer award with 114 wins. The Rasmussen family trained an outstanding 282 winners for the year.
2018 SA Syndicate of the Year
“Riff Raff” Syndicate
Manager – Kim Johnstone
This was the twelfth time that this Award was presented to acknowledge an important part of our industry in Syndication. The “Riff Raff” Syndicate which was formed on 14th November 2014 has had a few member changes but currently includes Matthew Payne, Craig D’Antonio and Ken Gill. This was the third year in a row that this Syndicate has won this award. The Syndicate owned 12 greyhounds in 2018 winning 33 races between them. The main performers were Rachel Zane (9 wins), Harvey Specter (7 wins), Eustace Road (4 wins), Waltharius (3 wins) and Deed (7 wins).
2018 SA City Strike Rate
Kirin Corby – 36.05%
This award was based on performances for Angle Park city meetings (City A/City B). The trainer also must have a minimum of 20 starters for the year. Kirin qualified mainly through the performance of her star sprinter Fabwik who won 16 races from her 24 starts along with exciting youngsters Sennachie (3 from 3) and Tauwitcherie (5 from 7). During 2018 Kirin trained 31 winners from 86 starters at city meetings, giving her a 36.05% strike rate.
2018 Gawler Trackstar Award
Jack In Black – 45 starts (20/8/4)
Trainer – Des Hockley
Jack In Black had all 45 starts at the Gawler venue over the 400m journey with his best time being 22.69. He made the final of the Gawler Sprint Classic on Gawler Cup final night in November after winning his heat, finishing in 7th position in the final. He won an amazing 44% of his starts at Gawler and was placed in 71% of races showing his wonderful strike rate and consistency during the year.
2018 Run Of The Year – Honcho Monelli (August)
The Run of the Year was the Tony Rasmussen trained Honcho Monelli for his brilliant performance at Angle Park on Thursday 2nd August. He started a warm favourite in a heat of the National Sprint State series and he didn’t disappoint his fans. Beginning fairly from box 7 he raced midfield before making his customary move down the back straight where he swooped upon the leaders in a blink of an eye. He raced away in the run home to win by an ever increasing 8.75 lengths in a sizzling 29.42 for the 515m journey. His splits were 4.54 and 16.86 with a powerful run home of 12.56.
Honcho Monelli won this award based on a combination of the public vote and votes from the GOTY Panel.