Dual Group One-winning sprint star Shaquille is named Yorkshire's Horse of Year

The award, voted for by the press, was presented to Camacho and her husband and assistant Steve Brown at the Go Racing in Yorkshire annual lunch, held at York Racecourse on Wednesday.

It completed a hat-trick of awards for horse and trainer this week, with Camacho also named Horse Race Writers and Photographers Association Flat Trainer of the Year and awarded the Best Flat Training Performance of the Season for her work with the now-retired three-year-old.

Shaquille, named after basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal, won seven of his nine races, including sensational runs to claim the top grade Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and July Cup at Newmarket.

He finished last when bidding for a hat-trick of Group 1 wins in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock and with connections deciding not to run him in the sprint on Champions Day, he wasn’t seen again.

He was retired to Dullingham Stud near Newmarket, owned by Leeds-based Clipper Logistics businessman Steve Parkin, where he stands for a fee of £15,000.

The Cartier European Sprinter of the Year follows in the hoofprints of Malton’s sprint queen, John Quinn’s Highfield Princess – the pair shared the same training gallops in the town – last year’s Horse of the Year – who bids to end Britain’s long wait for a winner in the Longines Hong Kong Sprint on Sunday.

Camacho said: “It has been a brilliant and really special time for us all with him.”

Great Habton’s Tim Easterby was the county’s Flat Trainer of the Year with 62 winners in the county as well as Art Power, who finally got his head in front in a Group One when claiming Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes.

He also trains York’s winning-most horse Copper Knight – a £5,000 purchase by his son William – who has now won a record seven times on the Knavesmire.

Easterby said: “Art Power is an amazing little horse. To find them, get them to the track and come home again okay is a really important part of it.

"You don’t come across horses like him very often.”

Flat Jockey of the Year was Easterby’s stable jockey David Allan who claimed his first Group One success on Art Power and rode 37 winners in the Broad Acres – pipping Danny Tudhope (34) and Ben Curtis (33).

Jumps Trainer went to Warwickshire-based Dan Skelton who said he “tried to have as many runners as possible” at Yorkshire’s tracks.

Leading National Hunt rider was Champion Jumps Jockey, Brian Hughes, who also clocked up his 100th career winner at Wetherby during the year and claimed the Ride of the Year for his win on Donald McCain’s Maximilian in the Albert Bartlett River Don Novices' Hurdle at Doncaster last January.

Catterick-based trainer Phil Kirby claimed the Jumps Training Performance for Bushypark’s win in the North Yorkshire Grand National at his home track.

The aforementioned Tudhope claimed the Flat Ride of the Year for his performance on dual Grand National-winning trainer Lucinda Russell’s Ballyare at Wetherby.

Another Norton trainer, John Wainwright, took the Flat Training honours after his horse Dandy’s Angel won six times in just over a year – including five over a mile and two furlongs at Beverley.

The Future Star Apprentice Award winner was Elle-May Croot with 47 points. She has won 13 races for Westow’s Paul Midgley and also Rebecca Menzies and Ivan Furtado.

Finally, Milestone Awards were given to Leyburn trainer Karl Burke for passing 1,500 career winners; Nigel Tinkler, the Malton handler for 1,000 career winners and jockey Ben Curtis for 1,000 victories too.

Ben Warn, Chairman of Go Racing In Yorkshire, said: “With nine superb racecourses, two major training centres, a sales ring and Jack Berry House, we have everything we need in Yorkshire for a thriving racing community and the annual lunch is a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of all those involved in the industry.

"Our thanks go to the Tote for sponsoring the event and their support of racing in Yorkshire.”