Maltese-Canadian horse trainer in bid for top accolade

A Maltese-Canadian horse trainer has been shortlisted for the prestigious Outstanding Trainer category in the 30th Annual Sovereign Awards, Canadian Thoroughbred racing's year-end honours award.

The winner will be announced later this week at the Wyndham Bristol Place Hotel, in Toronto and if Sid Attard clinches the trophy he will be the first Maltese to win the accolade.

For the last few races in the 2004 thoroughbred season Mr Attard and Robert Tiller, another finalist alongside Mark Frostad, found themselves in a battle for all the spoils as Woodbine's top trainer.

Both Mr Attard and Mr Tiller have 57 years' combined experience in the conditioning ranks and with the last race taking place yesterday afternoon it looked like Mr Attard would emerge the winner in the stakes.

Reports in the Canadian media have said that "the veteran horsemen, both of whom should garner serious attention in this year's Sovereign Award voting, have produced solid individual campaigns at the Toronto oval".

Mr Attard, 54, who hails from Birkirkara, emigrated to Canada with his brothers in the 1960s and all three - Tino, Joe and Sid - are extremely successful on the racetrack.

His other brother Larry was one of the most consistent and dedicated jockeys on the Ontario Jockey Club circuit in the 1980s. In 2001, he was inducted into the Mississauga Sports Hall of Fame.

Now living in Bramalea, Ontario, Mr Attard first obtained a trainer's licence in 1978 and went on to capture two Woodbine titles in 1982 and 1996.

He has topped the $3-million mark in purse earnings for the first time this year, $3,336,097 in all. Mr Attard has 142 top-three finishes to date and also tallied six added-money victories after 158 racing days.

Contacted at his stables yesterday morning Mr Attard said that horses were in his life for as long as he could remember.

Mr Attard, who returns to Malta regularly for holidays, is passing on his gift to his son - the Attards are well on the way to dominating Woodbine.