Champion jockey Craig Williams has achieved his sixth victory in the esteemed Scobie Breasley Medal, recognising riding excellence in Victoria.
Williams’ triumph arrives two decades after his initial win in 2006, subsequently repeating the achievement in 2007, 2008, and 2009. His most recent Scobie Breasley Medal success was in 2017.
The Scobie Breasley Medal is awarded by Racing Victoria stewards, who allocate votes on a 3-2-1 basis at each Victorian metropolitan race meeting throughout the season.
Trailing second-placed Jamie Mott by a single vote with just one month left, Williams secured the award by amassing 11 votes in July, ultimately winning by a margin of five over Mott, with a final tally of 52 to 47.
Despite periods spent riding internationally, Damian Lane secured third place with 37 votes, followed by Daniel Stackhouse on 31. Apprentice Luke Cartwright completed the top five, accumulating 29 votes.
Williams also claimed the title of leading Victorian metropolitan winner for the season, recording 65 victories during the 2025-26 period.
Half Yours, the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup victor, was honoured as the Victorian Racehorse of the Year, an accolade determined by a panel comprising racing officials, journalists, and broadcasters.
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained stayer finished ahead of Cox Plate champion Via Sistina, with Godolphin’s Tentyris and Observer taking the next two positions.
The McEvoy father-son training partnership also earned the Most Outstanding Training Performance award for their significant Cups double success. They prepared Half Yours to become the 13th horse to achieve this double, surpassing Cindy Alderson, who was recognised for her work with Jigsaw, a horse that won seven of its eight starts that season, including races in Victoria, New Zealand, and Western Australia.
Calvin McEvoy received the Colin Alderson Rising Star Award, acknowledging a Victorian-licensed trainer under the age of 40 whose career is demonstrably progressing.
Commended for his professional conduct and media engagement, Calvin McEvoy played a crucial role in the family stable’s performance, achieving 91 winners nationwide, including seven Stakes winners, at an impressive strike rate of 18%.
Jamie Mott and Logan Bates were the recipients of the two peer-voted awards, securing the Victorian Jockeys’ Association’s Damien Oliver Most Valuable Jockey and VJA Rising Star titles, respectively, as chosen by their fellow jockeys.
These accolades capped off a significant season for both riders, with Bates celebrating his first Group 1 win and Mott achieving a personal best in terms of winners, clinching his maiden Victorian Jockeys’ Premiership with 128 victories.
Cartwright was also recognised for his exceptional season, which included 70 wins and a debut Stakes success, as he claimed both the Victorian Apprentice Jockeys’ Premiership and the Metropolitan Apprentice Jockeys’ Premiership for the first time.
The Tommy Corrigan Medal, awarded by RV Stewards on a 2-1 basis for outstanding rides at all jumps meetings, also saw a new winner in Dean Parker, who triumphed in his second full season after relocating from New Zealand.
Ciaron Maher continued his consistent dominance of the Metropolitan Trainers’ Premiership, earning him the Fred Hoysted Medal for the sixth consecutive year.
Maher also secured the Victorian Trainers’ Premiership, concluding a remarkable season that featured 220 winners across the state, highlighted by Group 1 victories with Observer, Pride Of Jenni, Jimmysstar, and Light Infantry Man. Explore the latest racing odds at Australian betting sites.
