Quartet vies for Queensland Horse of the Year honour

Four of Queensland racing’s biggest stars have been named finalists for the 2026 Queensland Horse of the Year award, setting up one of the closest contests in recent memory ahead of the Queensland Thoroughbred Awards later this month.

Rothfire, Spicy Martini, Transatlantic and Yellow Brick headline the finalists revealed by Racing Queensland for the gala ceremony at The Star Brisbane on August 30.

Veteran sprinter Rothfire is in contention following his popular Group 1 Doomben 10,000 victory, while Spicy Martini strengthened her claims with success in Queensland’s premier race, the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.

Transatlantic added a Group 1 Toorak Handicap to trainer Tony Gollan’s growing list of major wins, while Yellow Brick produced a consistent season highlighted by victories in the Group 3 W.J. Healy Stakes and the $1 million The Archer.

The same four horses have also been nominated for the 4YO and Older Horse of the Year category.

Acting Racing Queensland chief executive Lachlan Murray said the finalists represented one of the strongest fields seen in recent years.

“The star power on show in Queensland has again risen to the top over the last 12 months, with three individual Group 1 winners amongst the finalists sure to make the final decision tough for the judging panel,” Murray said.

Elsewhere, Grafterburners, Brave Monarch, Foreign Press and Earn To Burn have been shortlisted for 3YO Horse of the Year, while Boomelli, Cool Gent, Itchintogo, Martist and Pembrey are finalists for the 2YO award.

A total of 27 awards will be presented on the night, including Queensland Trainer, Jockey and Apprentice of the Year. Tony Gollan is seeking a 13th consecutive Trainer of the Year title, while Ryan Maloney, Ben Thompson, Angela Jones and Taylor Marshall are finalists for Jockey of the Year.

Four new inductees will also enter the Queensland Hall of Fame: trainer Jack Booth, jockey Jim Byrne, breeder Basil Nolan and champion horse Planet Ruler.