STEVE Hewitt, farrier to Middleham trainer Mark Johnston, has won a magnum of champagne and a trip to the United States as the joint winner of the Victory Magnum 2004.

The Victory Magnum is awarded by Atlantic Equine Ltd, UK distributors for the Victory Racing Plate Company, to the farrier or farriers plating the most Group 1 winners in England, Ireland and France in Victory aluminium racing plates over the season.

Mr Hewitt and Chris Edwards, farrier to Sir Michael Stoute, plated five winners each to land the champagne and a trip to the American Farriers' Association Convention in Chattanooga at the end of last month.

Mr Hewitt's tally was down to the extraordinary exploits of Attraction, winner of the 1,000 Guineas, Irish 1000 Guineas, Coronation Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes, and Dewhurst Stakes winner Shamardal.

He is just embarking on his seventh year at Mark Johnston Racing, but this is the first time he has won the Victory Magnum. He has three qualified farriers in Simon Taylor, Dave Hannah and Graeme Findlater and three apprentices, Ben Green, James Morton and Mike Darwin, in his team.

He said: "I am very proud to have won this award, and the trip to Chattanooga. We'll have to go for the double in 2005. Attraction is back in the yard now!"

Mr Hewitt, who reckons he has plated more than 1,000 winners in Victory plates, is planning to use the experience he gains in Chattanooga to further his skills for his own forge near York, where he undertakes therapeutic work for thoroughbreds as well as general farriery work.

"There are not many who really do therapeutic work for thoroughbreds in this part of the world," he said. "A lot of people still take their horses down to Newmarket."