Voice Commander has been named the NSW Country Champion Horse Of The Year

Seven-year-old gelding Voice Commander was announced as the 2011 NSW Country Champion Horse Of The Year last night at the NSW Racehorse Owners Associations night of champions.

Trainer Nick Olive was elated after his horse received the title.

“What a great honour and a great thrill to train a horse that can win on a night like this,” Olive said.

“I feel privileged being a country trainer in a room full of people I look up to and admire and try and learn off.”

Voice Commander has won 12 of his 42 race starts during his career, but his most successful campaign came last season when he claimed victory in a variety of country cups including the Gunagai Cup, Queanbeyan Cup and Wagga Gold Cup.

“I love this horse to death; we bought him in a yearling sale and have spent every day with him since,” Olive said.

“Winning the Wagga cup was without a doubt the greatest thrill I have had in racing.”

Olive also took out the Canberra Trainer’s Premiership for the second year in a row after training a total of 60 winners during the last season.

Voice Commander, who has earned almost $700,000 in prize money, is due to resume his next campaign in around five weeks.