Although he has been freshly minted Canada's 2011 Trainer of the Year, Jeff Gillis surely isn't letting the accomplishment go to his head. “We’ve had good years, but I don’t ever feel there’s been a year prior to this that I was deserving of it.”

The 34-year-old resident of Hillsburgh, Ont. took some time to discuss his 2011 season and O'Brien Award win with the Orangeville Banner. Even though his modesty in the brief piece is quite apparent, so is his enjoyment of the moment.

“It’s a great honour,” said Gillis. “Obviously, it’s one person — one in all of Canada wins that award each year and I’m pretty proud.”

Performers from Gillis' stable were sharp in 2011, as they collectively recorded 112 wins, 101 second-place finishes and 92 thirds from 678 starts. His pupils raced to almost $3.9-million in purse earnings during the campaign and helped him record a solid .293 UDR for the season.

His stable was led by the standout pacing colt Mystician, a winner of $695,000 last season, Breeders Crown champion Frenchfrysnvinegar, who won an O’Brien trophy in the Older Trotting Mare category, Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final winner Mister Herbie and top freshman pacing colt Speed Again.

“When I was going to the races in the early '80s to Orangeville and Barrie with my dad, it (getting to the level he is at now) certainly wasn’t a realistic goal at that point,” said Gillis.

(With files from the Orangeville Banner)

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