Pencarrow Racing had another successful season in 2014/15 winning 48 races across five countries with Sir Peter Vela awarded a second successive Owner’s Premiership presented at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards.

The New Zealand Owner’s Premiership was only introduced last year with Sir Peter Vela winning the award both seasons of its existence.

Outside of New Zealand, the silks of Pencarrow Racing were carried to victory in Australia, Singapore, United Kingdom and Ireland this season.

“Overall I think we have to be pretty happy with the way things went,” commented Pencarrow Racing Manager Garry Cossey. “We black-typed five horses last season with Atacama the highlight, winning the Listed race on Melbourne Cup Day.

“I was very satisfied with Silver Eclipse to win the (Listed) Pegasus Stakes down in Riccarton. It was a race that Rambo (Steven Ramsay) and Julia (Ritchie) had identified that they wanted to target with her, in a view to getting black-type along the way. She won very convincingly, stamping herself as a high quality sprinter so hopefully there will be more in store for her this season.”

Atacama’s racing career came to a close this season with feature victories in the Listed James Boag’s Premium Stakes on Melbourne Cup Day and the Listed Matamata Cup. The daughter of Pentire won a total of seven races from her 23 starts and placed in three stakes races followed by a fourth running in the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes in her second-to-last start.

Darci Brahma mare Silver Eclipse also gained the biggest success of her racing career this season, adding black-type to her pedigree after winning the Listed Pegasus Stakes at New Zealand Cup Week, which she then followed up with a fifth placed performance in the Group 1 Railway Stakes.

“The icing on the cake was Sir Peter (Vela) winning the Owner’s Premiership award at the NZ Thoroughbreds dinner,” said Cossey. “He won it the year before but I didn’t know we had the numbers this year to win it again, it was really satisfying.

“We’ve had a few retirements this year but we’ve got some unraced three-year-olds showing promise so hopefully we’ve got enough young stock that we’ll be able to kick a goal this year as well.

“Of the older horses that stand out at Rambo and Julia’s, I would like to think Silver Eclipse will go on and do the job this season. Irion ran black-type last year and I think she can go on to win, Rasa Lila I think will also make black-type, and Duquesa was Group 3 placed last year and she has come up very good.

“We also have big hopes for Hasselhoof, having won two for two for Donna Logan. He is Pencarrow bred and Sir Peter has a share in him.”

The Pencarrow Racing team have had increasing success in the United Kingdom and Ireland with victories by Hundi and Torcedor, both progeny of boom Australian sire Fastnet Rock. Hundi represented the blue and white hoops at this year’s Royal Ascot meeting, finishing a creditable fifth on an undercard race.