Personality of the Year Award

First awarded in 1979, the VRMA Personality Of The Year Award is one of Victorian racing’s most prestigious awards.

Voted by VRMA members on nominations forwarded by the VRMA committee, most of the great names of Australian racing are past winners including Bart Cummings, Tommy Smith, Lee Freedman, Darren Beadman and Damien Oliver.

In its original format the POTY award was announced at a dinner held at the Southern Cross Ballroom and became a must-attend event for the racing community.

The 2014 winner is Ballarat trainer Darren Weir,  announced at a luncheon on Monday November 17  at the Emerald Hotel, South Melbourne.

The best news astory was won by Tim Auld and best feature story winner Bruce Clark were announced at the luncheon by judges Rhett Kirkwood and Ray Huxley.

No doubt one of the most controversial winners was in 2012 when an equine hero, Black Caviar was voted in.

Yet no one could deny that the horse, trainer, jockey and connections earned racing more publicity in her glory run of 25 wins than any individual in the past decade and beyond.

The 2015 winner was Michelle Payne for her history making feat of  becoming the first woman to ride a Melbourne Cup winner.

Chris Waller, trainer of dual Cox Plate winner Winx and the Sydney record for winners in a seas0n in 2015-16 is the 2016 winner.

In 2017 Udyta Clarke won thanks to the deeds of and devotion to her ace sprinter Rich Charm.

The 2018  winner could not be denied- Team Winx. Trainer Chris Waller, jockey Hugh Bowman and part-owners Peter Tighe and Debbie Kepidis, Richard G. Treweeke shared their champion mare with the public thanks to unprecedented access.

Last year’s award went to Melbourne Cup winning jockey Craig Williams, a media savvy man always conscious of the image of racing.

2019- Craig Williams

2018- Team Winx

2017- Udyta Clarke

2016 -  Chris Waller

2015 – Michelle Payne