The award is selected by industry people and media representatives.
[1] The inaugural award was won in 1976 by Don't Retreat, a New South Wales pacer who won 14 of his 24 starts in the 1975-1976 season for a total of $122,415.
[2] The first and only trotter to win the award was Maori's Idol in 1978, a season in which he won 22 of his 24 starts.
[2] The youngest horse to win the award was Lombo Pocket Watch, who won as a two-year-old in 2006.
Smoken Up was the original winner of the 2011 award but became ineligible due to his disqualification from the Inter Dominion.