A bit of an uproar has been stirred up Down Under after Monkey King was voted the aged pacer of the year over Smoken Up and Themightyquinn at New Zealand's annual harness racing awards
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In Monday's The New Zealand Herald, racing writer Michael Guerin states that Monkey King received 14 votes, while Themightyquinn and Smoken Up received 12 and seven votes, respectively. Monkey King won just three of 15 starts on the season and did not win some of Australasian harness racing's bigger stakes, most notably the Interdominion (won by Smoken Up) and the Auckland Cup (won by Themightyquinn).
Guerin is calling for an overhaul to the voting system claiming that if voters were somewhat sour over the pending positive test to Smoken Up in the Inter Dominion, Themightyquinn would win that event and should have secured both aged pacer and Horse of the Year honours.
Three-year-old pacing filly Carabella (Bettors Delight - Andress Blue Chip) was named Horse of the Year, winning 10 of her 11 starts.