If ever a hall of fame existed for harness racing, the name Cherokee’s Ironman would certainly be among the greats.

Arnold Manders’s gelding was simply in a class of his own this season.

The Indiana-bred pony won the coveted “Triple Crown” comprised of the Best Three, Boxing Day Stakes and Champion of Champions titles to become only the third pony behind Speedtime and Big Red Machine to achieve the extraordinary feat.

For added measure Cherokee’s Ironman also ran the season’s fastest time of 1:02/2, which is also a new record for a gelding.

“It’s been a good season for us,” Manders said. “It’s been planned and peaked well at the right time. Ironman has lived up to his name. He’s run four and three all year and if I took him down to the track now he would still do it.”

Cherokee’s Ironman completed the clean sweep of major honours at the season-ending Champion of Champions last month of which he was the defending champion.

“We were in the three hold and had the two fastest ponies in front of us,” Manders said. “All we had to do was beat one and then the next heat we would be in the two hold and if we won the race we would retain the Champion of Champions.”