Champion Opaki race mare Pennyweka is up for two awards at the prestigious New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards in September.
The dual group one winner has been nominated for Champion Three-Year-Old alongside exceptional fillies Legarto, and Prowess, classy NZ Derby winner Sharp ’N’ Smart and NZ 2000 Guineas winner, Pier.
Pennyweka will also line up in the Champion Stayer category with Sharp ’N’ Smart, Auckland Cup winner Platinum Invador, Avondale Cup
winner Aquacade and Queen Elizabeth ll Cup winner Dionysus.
As well as her deeds on the race course, the Jim Wallace-trained filly became known for the frenetic support of the Galloping Wekas Jazweka Syndicate, who race her.
The ownership structure includes brothers Jim and Les Wallace, who bred the mare, their wives Mary and Janine, and about 70 other syndicate members. They threatened to tear down the Trentham members’ stand when their pride and joy flew to a three-length win in the NZ Oaks over 2400m in March.
Three weeks later, Royal Randwick in Sydney was treated to a sea of green as a huge contingent of the ‘Galloping Wekas’ cheered home Pennyweka in the A$1 million Australian Oaks [2400m].
The champion two-year-old, sprinter-miler, and middle-distance horse of the year will be named.
Each of the category winners will be eligible for the
coveted SENZ Horse of the
Year title, a prestigious award with a rich history of past winners, including Probabeel, Melody Belle, Bonneval, Mongolian Khan and Dundeel.
The black-tie dinner event will be hosted by highly-regarded racing personalities Jayne Ivil and Michael Guerin and held at Shed 10 on Queen’s Wharf in Auckland on Septmeber 10.
