Connections of Yorkshire Glory have picked up £125,583.33 in bonuses following the conclusion of the fourth ARC £1,000,000 All-Weather Bonus scheme.
As well as scooping the overall £100,000 Horse of the Year prize, Yorkshire Glory tied first in the March/April competition in addition to a top 10 finish in February.
The five-year-old notched eight wins and five placed efforts from 14 qualifying runs for Ben Haslam and the Blue Lion Racing syndicate, including a run of five straight victories.
Wolverhampton’s evening fixture on March 23 produced a fitting denouement to the Horse of the Year race as Yorkshire Glory clinched the honours with victory over his title rival Aisling Oscar.
Yorkshire Glory ended the campaign with 293 points, 12 clear of Adrian Keatley’s runner. Francesi finished third for Tony Carroll with 263, while fourth Latin was one of three James Owen-trained contenders to finish in the top 10.
Haslam said: “We purchased Yorkshire Glory through my wife Alice’s family, who sourced him relatively cheaply. Although he was a lovely looking horse, he was very big and it took him a long time to come together. We have taken our time – and our patience has been rewarded.
“Having raced over further before this season, Yorkshire Glory honed his skills as a sprinter all through the winter. He progressed quietly in the first half of the competition, which helped because he did not leap up in the ratings, which meant he could finish strong.
“To say we knew we would win five on the bounce at the end would be going too far, but hats off to the horse, he has been magnificent. And to round it off at Wolverhampton with him and Aisling Oscar finishing first and second was a poetic way to win it.
“Winning the Horse of the Year title is a huge achievement, not only for the horse, but for all of us involved with him. To compete against the likes of Aisling Oscar, who was phenomenal in winning eight on the bounce, shows how hard it is to win a competition like this.
“It is very important to reward the lads at home because, without them, none of this would happen. ARC have done a brilliant job providing the incentives, while the competition is very engaging. Horses are changing positions all through the winter and owners get very interested in not only how their horse is doing but other contenders as well.”
Additionally, the winning most jockey and apprentice jockey at each of Lingfield Park, Newcastle, Southwell and Wolverhampton receive a prize of £7,000 and £3,000. The results are as follows:
Lingfield Park
Rossa Ryan – 23 wins
Jack Dace – 7 wins
Newcastle
Jason Hart – 19 wins
Lauren Young – 9 wins
Southwell
Rob Hornby – 11 wins
Ryan Kavanagh – 8 wins
Wolverhampton
Billy Loughnane – 48 wins
Ryan Kavanagh – 5 wins
