Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

Distinctly Irish

DISTINCTLY IRISH was last night crowned the 2007 'Horse of the Year' at the 19th annual None Such/Horse of the Year awards dinner at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston.

His owner, Howard Hamilton was the toast of the night, as in addition to collecting the 'Horse of the Year' award for the third time since 2003, he also received the first runner-up and champion sprinter awards for his other horse - MUSICAL MAESTRO, trained by Dwight Chen, not to mention the champion owner award for the second consecutive year.

DISTINCTLY IRISH, who as a six-year-old in 2007, won six races from 11 starts and $3.7 million in stakes, was previously voted 'Horse of the Year' in 2004 by virtue of winning the Derby, 2000 Guineas and Superstakes.

Champion stayer

Last night the bay gelding by Irish Quest out of the 1990 Derby winner Distinctly Native also won awards for champion stayer, champion middle distance performer, champion 4-y-o and up and champion locally bred horse, not to mention several other sectional awards in the 4-y-o and up category. Bred by Ken Gooden, DISTINCTLY IRISH is conditioned by 14-time champion trainer Philip Feanny.

After flopping as the favourite behind MAJOR MAYER in the November 10 Megafone Super-stakes, DISTINCTLY IRISH sealed the award in December with back-to-back wins in the CTL Gold Cup and Harry Jackson Memorial Cup on Boxing Day, both under the crushing impost of 60.5kg and leading all-time jockey Winston 'Fanna' Griffiths, his customary pilot.

The coveted None Such award for unparallel achievement in racing went to owner/trainer Richard Azan for having won seven owners' championship from 1995 to 2003.

Omar Walker, who truly excelled in his first full season in the saddle last year, not only picked up the champion jockey award, but the most-improved rider and champion apprentice awards as well.

Wayne DaCosta received the champion trainer award for a second consecutive year, while Henry Jaghai won yet another champion breeder award.

Other awards went to Super-stakes winner MAJOR MAYER (Second runner-up to the Horse of the Year), THE REAL STREAM (Champion 2-Y-O), RUM TALK (Champion 3-Y-O), FUSILIER (Claimer of the Year), Neive Graham (Most Improved Trainer), CLOCKWORK (Best Foreign-bred Horse), Robert Wedderburn from the Neive Graham stables (Champion Groom), ROYAL MINISTER (Champion Sire) and TEE GEE VEE (Champion Broodmare).