Father Patrick pair crowned NZ 2YO Trotters of the Year

The progeny of Father Patrick took out both of the 2022 New Zealand 2YO Trotter of the Year titles at the Harness Racing New Zealand Awards evening on Saturday, with the unbeaten High Energy crowned the 2YO Trotting Filly of the Year and Confessional the 2YO Male Trotter of the Year.

The Mark Purdon and Hayden Cullen trained filly won all five of her race day starts in 2022, including the Group 1 Ace Of Hearts (in a NZ national record time for a 2-year-old trotting filly), the Group 2 Sires Stakes 2YO Trotting Championship and the Group 3 NZ 2YO Trotting Stakes, and banked $107,400 in stakes.

In taking out the title High Energy emulated her dam, the Muscles Yankee mare High Gait, who was crowned the 2014/15 NZ 2YO Trotting Filly of the Year.

She was bred by Breckon Farms Limited and is raced by their Breckon Farms Super Six Syndicate.

The Paul Nairn trained Confessional won three races, including the Group 1 Ace Of Spades in a New Zealand overall record time for a 2-year-old trotter and was also runner-up to High Energy in the Group 2 NZ Sires Stakes 2YO Trotting Championship.

He earned $72,289 in stakes money for the 2022 season.

Bred and raced by Birchbrook Breeding and Rob and Lynne Patterson, Confessional is out of the former NZ 2YO and 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year Habibti, who was herself awarded the 2022 NZ Trotting Broodmare of the Year title on the evening.