NEVER is there a truer sign that winter is on the way than when it is time to unveil the title of Yorkshire Racehorse of the Year.

The prestigious gong is the showpiece award of the annual Go Racing In Yorkshire Awards Lunch, staged at Doncaster Racecourse on Tuesday, and, as ever, the panel have a tough choice ahead of them.

The winner is selected by the region’s racing journalists and the award is open to any horse who is trained in Yorkshire and is judged to have made a significant impact on the racing year.

Last year, Mayson took the spoils following a campaign that brought Malton trainer Richard Fahey and jockey Paul Hanagan their first British Group 1 successes when the then four-year-old won the Darley July Cup at Newmarket.

Once again, over Flat and jumps, there have been a series of standout performances and it is no easy task to add to a roll of honour that includes Borderlescott and Tangerine Trees.

So let’s take a peek at some of the nominees:

Cape Tribulation

ANOTHER sensational season for Malcolm Jefferson’s top-class nine-year-old. Barely eight months after the son of Hernando scooped a Cheltenham Festival-Aintree double, Cape Tribulation crushed Mr Moonshine by 11 lengths in the Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day.

But better was to come for horse and trainer. At the Argento Chase at Cheltenham the following month, Cape Tribulation claimed a major scalp when beating Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander by half a length under Denis O’Regan to secure Jefferson Grade 2 honours.

That led to an appearance at the Cheltenham Festival’s blue riband race and the horse did not disappoint – finishing a fine fifth behind Bobs Worth.

 

Countrywide Flame

NORTH Yorkshire’s first Grade 1 winner at the Cheltenham Festival for many years, when scooping the JCB Triumph Hurdle in March 2012, Norton trainer John Quinn’s five-year-old established himself at the very top of his division when scything through the mud to win the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle just before the turn of the year.

Against the very best speed jumpers in the land in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, Countrywide Flame produced an exceptional performance – with only former winners Hurricane Fly and Rock On Ruby ahead of him and with the likes of Zarkandar and Binocular trailing behind.

 

Auroras Encore

SUE SMITH’S Bingley-trained 11-year-old did something no Yorkshire horse has achieved since 1960 – win the Grand National.

The 66-1 shot, ridden by Ryan Mania, sprang a huge surprise when beating Cappa Bleu by nine lengths at the Aintree showpiece in April.

Merryman II, trained by Captain Neville Crump at Middleham and ridden by Gerry Scott, had been the last horse from the county to take the world’s most famous steeplechase, some 53 years earlier but, holding off the challenge of Welsh National runner-up Teaforthree, Mania and Auroras Encore bolted away following the last fence for a famous win.

 

Top Notch Tonto

SHOULD next summer be on the wet side, watch this horse clean up in some of Britain’s biggest races.

Having brought Norton’s Brian Ellison his first Flat Group victory when winning the Superior Mile at Haydock in September, the three-year-old then claimed Listed honours when beating one-time Gimcrack winner Caspar Netscher in the Guisborough Stakes at Redcar the following month.

But it was what he did at Ascot, two weeks later, that really opened everyone’s eyes to this emerging talent.

Supplemented by his owner Keith Brown into the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot for a whopping £70,000, Top Notch Tonto more than justified the gamble.

Looking at one stage like he might even win the race, and still beating the likes of Kingsbarns and Dawn Approach, Ellison’s star finished three and a quarter lengths behind Olympic Glory in second – bagging a shade under £228,000. If he gets his favoured ground next summer, he will be one to watch.

 

Libertarian

IF some had dismissed the 33-1 victory of Libertarian in the Dante Stakes at York in May as a fluke, when he won by a length and a quarter from future Irish Derby winner Trading Leather, they were forced to eat their words three weeks later at the Epsom Derby.

There, the colt, trained by Elaine Burke at Middleham, produced a late run on the undulating surface which took him from last to second – a length and a half behind winner Ruler Of The World – in the most famous of Classic contests.

So impressed were Godolphin by Libertarian’s exploits that they snapped him up and the son of New Approach is now trained by Charlie Appleby.

 

Astaire

THE Kevin Ryan-trained Astaire won four of his five starts as a juvenile and ended the season most impressively when winning the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in October.

Another trip to York won’t be out of the question for the son of Intense Focus in 2014 – the two-year-old began his career with a maiden victory on Knavesmire and then returned in August to beat Wilshire Boulevard by a neck in the Gimcrack Stakes.