Jockey Jamie Kah may have made headlines for the wrong reasons in recent weeks, but on Sunday night she was crowned the Scobie Breasley Medalist for riding excellence in Victoria last season.
Kah is currently suspended for her role in the “Mornington Airbnb” saga late last month that saw her suspended for three months along with fellow jockeys Ben Melham, Mark Zahra, Ethan Brown and apprentice Celine Gaudrey.
However, what cannot be denied is Kah’s ability on horseback.
Kah became the first jockey to top the 100-win mark in Melbourne for the season, eventually partnering 105 winners for the season.
The Scobie Breasley Medal, named in honour of the first inductee into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, recognises riding excellence at Victorian metropolitan race meetings with votes awarded at each by Racing Victoria Stewards on a 3-2-1 basis for the best ride of the day.
Kah secured the Scobie Breasley Medal by a record margin, polling at 39 meetings to claim 86 votes to finish 37 votes clear of her nearest rival, Damian Lane (49).
The top five was rounded out by five-time Scobie Breasley medallist Craig Williams (36 votes), last year’s winner and 11-time medallist Damien Oliver (35), and Melbourne Cup-winning jockey, Jye McNeil (34).
Victoria’s leading trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace added the Fred Hoysted Medal for training excellence to their Metropolitan Trainers’ Title and Victorian Trainers’ Title.
Will Price won the VJA Rising Star for the second time to go with his titles in the Metropolitan and State areas for apprentice jockeys.
And Steve Pateman claimed his ninth victory in the jumps jockeys equivalent to the Scobie Breasley, the Tommy Corrigan Medal.
Trainer Chris Waller’s dominance of the Victorian Racehorse of the Year title also continued with Verry Elleegant providing the trainer a fifth consecutive title after Nature Strip (2020) and Winx (2017-19) were previously honoured.
Verry Elleegant enjoyed a superb 2020 Victorian Spring Racing Carnival with back-to-back Group 1 wins in the Turnbull Stakes and the Caulfield Cup.
She polled a total of 100 votes to finish 47 clear of Arcadia Queen (53), with Russian Camelot and Twilight Payment tied for third on 15 votes.
The full list of 2021 award winners are:
Victorian Racehorse of the Year – Verry Elleegant
Scobie Breasley Medal – Jamie Kah
Fred Hoysted Medal – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
Tommy Corrigan Medal – Steven Pateman
Colin Alderson Award – Ben Brisbourne
VJA Most Valuable Jockey – Jamie Kah
VJA Rising Star – Will Price
Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premiership (Roy Higgins Medal) – Jamie Kah (105 wins)
Victorian Jockeys’ Premiership – John Allen (144 wins)
Metropolitan Apprentices’ Premiership – Will Price (47 wins)
Victorian Apprentices’ Premiership – Will Price (73 wins)
Metropolitan Trainers’ Premiership – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace (73 wins)
Victorian Trainers’ Premiership – Ciaron Maher & David Eustace (228 wins)
