Miss Andretti – Australian Racehorse of the Year
The magnificent Australian racehorse, Miss Andretti, has been setting the horse racing world on fire. Named in honor of the legendary Mario Andretti, this spirited six year old has been living up to the weight of carrying the name of an auto-racing hero. From twenty-two starts, Miss Andretti has won fourteen, and when her name showed up on the nominations list for the Australian Racehorse of the Year no one was surprised. She has grown from strength to strength and has proved herself a formidable opponent and a horse racing powerhouse.
At the Australian Racehorse of the Year and Hall of Fame Gala, which was held at the Royal Randwich, Miss Andretti did not only win the prestige title, but ensured that her title was a benchmark occasion. It was the first time in twenty years that a sprinter was awarded the Horse of the Year award. Unlike some awards that are specifically given for performances by a racehorse, harness racing horse or steeple chasing horse, the Australian Racehorse of the Year includes all types of horse racing. This award considers horses of any age, sex and racing type, confirming that the winning horse is the best. It was previously only based on local racing, but has recently allowed international performances to be entered into the nominations process. And for the 2006-2007 racing season, Miss Andretti has come out on top, with seventy-five percent of the votes that came in from the media, administrators, racing officials, stewards and handicappers.
Winning four Group One races, namely the Newmarket Handicap, Lightning Stakes, Manikato Stakes and the Australia stakes, almost secured her title win. At the Royal Ascot, that took place in June, Miss Andretti snatched up the winning position at the King’s Stand Stakes, which is a Group Two race. Overjoyed trainer of Miss Andretti, Lee Freedman, said that he was proud of her achievements and that winning the title was a fitting reward for the hard work and dedication that she had shown in every race during the past year. While the awards ceremony was underway, Miss Andretti found herself on a flight to Hong Kong, where Freedman hopes that she will be able to pull another spectacular win out the bag.
With her unmistakable will to win and full hearted approach to every race, it is guaranteed that Miss Andretti will be working on a legendary career of her own. Maybe not behind the wheel of a car, but in the love her fans have for her and every time she leaves the starting gates.
