St Patrick's Cup winner Blackbriar is the 2011 Northern Territory Horse of the Year.

The six-year-old gelding had nine starts in Darwin and Alice Springs for four wins, a second and three thirds after arriving from Victoria earlier this year.

He won his first two races at Fannie Bay before landing the $25,000 St Patrick's Day Cup with jockey Paul Shiers on board.

Trainer Melinda Boothy then took Blackbriar to Alice Springs, where he won a lead-up race to the Alice Springs Cup and ran third in the Cup itself.

"He's a pretty smart horse, so it's no real surprise he was voted the Horse of the Year," Thoroughbred Racing NT's chief executive Andrew O'Toole said.

It was also a productive night for Darwin trainer Gary Clarke at Friday's awards.

Clarke was the leading trainer in the Darwin Cup Carnival with 12 wins and he also prepared 2yo horse of the year Birchley.

Sprinter of the year and performer of the year Hidden Surprise also came under Clarke's care during 2011.

The Stephen Brown stable enjoyed its own success, as Brown won the leading trainer award with a total of 66 winners. Brown also prepared country performer of the year Only Feathers in his win and second from two starts in the bush.

His stable jockey Scott Hillebrand won the jockey of the year trophy with 34 wins, the third time he has topped the table among the Darwin hoops.

Shiers, who partnered Blackbriar during most of his successes, was the jockey of the Carlton Mid Darwin Cup Carnival when he rode 10 winners.

Long-time Fannie Bay course photographer Valda Ioane was named the character of racing for the 2011 campaign.

Story courtesy of Grey Morris, NT News