BASHBOY has scored a runaway win in the 2012 Australian Jumping Horse of the Year Award.
The Ciaron Maher-trained jumper was crowned the winner at a National Racing Awards ceremony at Docklands in Melbourne last night.
Bashboy scored 115 votes from the Victorian and South Australian racing media and racing administrators who polled votes in the prestigious award.
The nine-year-old defeated champion jumper Black and Bent on 64 votes.
The 2012 Warrnambool Grand Annual winner Awakening Dream came in third on 29 votes.
Bashboy won a $30,000 restricted steeplechase at Warrnambool on July 7 for Maher, who has stables at Winslow and Caulfield.
He followed up that effort winning the $100,000 Crisp Steeplechase at Sandown on July 15 before winning the $250,000 Grand National Steeplechase at Sandown on July 29.
Maher declared Bashboy the best jumper he has trained after the horse scored a seven-length win in the Grand National Steeplechase.
“He’s just a brilliant jumper,” the former jumps jockey told The Standard.
“He can jump fences at all heights.
“He’s the best jumper I’ve had by far.
“He’s untapped.
“I’ll probably look at getting him back for next year’s Warrnambool Grand Annual.
“He’s having a good break now.
“We’ll map out a program for him in a few weeks for the next jumping season,” Maher said.
Maher, who has won two Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechases with veteran jumper Al Garhood, said the race was the jewel in the crown for jumps racing.
“Everyone who is involved in jumps racing whether they are owners, trainers or jockeys wants to win the Grand Annual,” he said.
“It’s the feature jumps race on our calendar.
“I would love to win another one with Bashboy.
“I think he’s the horse that can do it.”
Bashboy has won more than $270,000 in stakemoney for his connections.
He has five wins and a second placing to his credit from six jumps starts.
Unbeaten mare Black Caviar was crowned the Australian Racehorse of the Year and the Champion Sprinter at the function last night.