Fernie dominance rewarded with another leading trainer award

Peter Fernie’s reign as Goldfields racing’s premier trainer of the past two decades became official after Saturday’s finale at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Racing Club, when his season tally was boosted to 74 points.

With each victory earning him one point, Fernie eclipsed his 2018 mark of 61 winners.

Fernie, who led nearest rival Brett Drury by 67 points, heads into next year chasing a remarkable 17th crown in 18 years.

After he chalked-up a 10th consecutive title in 2017, Fernie stayed at the top of his game for each of the next four seasons.

The sequence was broken in 2022 by Brock Lewthwaite.

Fernie was the runner-up, but the deficit was just three points, and he roared back last year to reclaim his crown with 48 winners.

His 2024 campaign, however, was one for the ages and was set in motion from the first meeting on Good Friday with three winners.

At the Anzac Day meeting, four of the seven winners were from Fernie’s stable, and his record-breaking season included five of the seven winners on May 19.

Horse of the year was won by the Drury-trained Onemoreforleo with 22 points, from Debonnaire (21) and Zing To Win (20), and Lucy Fiore edged out Natasha Faithfull for jockey of the year.

Chanel Cooper was named apprentice of the year with 10 points from Zephen Johnston-Porter, and Charlotte Skerritt earned the mantle of strapper of the year.

She finished with 21 points to beat Ricky Connor (16).

Skerritt earlier this year also obtained her trainer’s licence and landed her first two victories with a Leonora-Leinster cups double in the northern Goldfields.

Next year will be groundbreaking for the KBRC with the addition of a new Golden Saddle “slot” race, announced last month by the State Government.

It will be run over 1100m on the same day as the $150,000 Kalgoorlie Cup as part of a $1.5 million commitment to establish a significant new sporting drawcard as part of the Race Round at Kalgoorlie Racecourse.

It will become Australia’s biggest regional slot race in a move designed to increase tourism in the Goldfields, better promote the KBRC’s spring carnival, and ensure the future of provincial racing.

KBRC awards:

Horse of the year:

Onemoreforleo (22 points); Debonnaire (21); Zing To Win (20).

Trainer of the year:

Peter Fernie (74 points); Brett Drury (7).

Jockey of the year:

Lucy Fiore (27 points); Natasha Faithfull (25).

Apprentice of the year:

Chanel Cooper (10 points); Zephen Johnston-Porter (2).

Strapper of the year:

Charlotte Skerritt (21 points); Ricky Connor (16).