Scenic Blast voted Australia's Horse of the Year

SCENIC BLAST (Scenic [Ire]), winner of this year's King's Stand S. (Eng-G1)

at Royal Ascot, garnered three awards -- including Australian Horse of the Year

honors -- at Melbourne's Crown Palladium Monday night. Also named Australia's

champion sprinter and top international performer, the five-year-old gelding won

a pair of Group 1 races at Flemington -- the Lightning S. and the Newmarket H.

-- en route to his three championship titles.

THESEO (Danewin), second to Scenic Blast in the Horse of the Year voting, was

named middle distance champion off his victories in the Epsom H. (Aus-G1), 

MacKinnon S. (Aus-G1), St George S. (Aus-G2) and Ranvet S. (Aus-G1). PHELAN

READY (More Than Ready), winner of the Golden Slipper S. (Aus-G1), was named

Australia's champion two-year-old, while SACRED KINGDOM (Encosta de Lago), who

took the Hong Kong Sprint Cup (HK-G1) at Sha Tin and the Krisflyer International

Sprint (Mal-G1) at Kranji, was named the best Australian-bred horse based

internationally.

Other divisional winners were SAMANTHA MISS (Redoute's Choice) as champion

three-year-old filly; WHOBEGOTYOU (Street Cry [Ire]) as champion three-year-old

male; VIEWED (Scenic [Ire]) as champion stayer; and PENTIFFIC (Pentire) as

champion jumper.