Vin Knight was quite different from your normal top class horseman. He was always driven by an untamed spirit and a boundless raw energy. He was a challenge for any rival who tried to compete with him.
In the few short years he had at the very top in harness racing, he drove a record 721 metropolitan winners, collecting six Melbourne driving premierships along the way. He rarely drove horses from other stables, with his winners coming from the horses he came to train with his father Bob as the listed trainer.
Twice he won the A.G. Hunter Cup and six times he won the Victoria Cup. In his short time at the top he drove a then record 18 Inter Dominion Heat winners.
Vin Knight was just 36 years-old when he died tragically in May, 1991. He was so far ahead on the leading premiership for drivers at that time with several months of the season to run that he easily collected another driving premiership.
He had dominated harness racing like no one before or since. In his own flamboyant style, Vin Knight took harness racing to the public like no other horseman had ever done.
Among the top-class horses that he drove were the champion Popular Alm, Garry’s Advice, Our Maestro, Sinbad Bay, Kotare Knight, Bag Limit, Jodies Babe and Jane Ellen.
Knight drove his first winner, Dian Glenfern, at his home track of Kilmore on July 6, 1970, a little over two months after his 16th birthday. His first metropolitan win was with Cita Dollar at the Ascot Vale Showgrounds on May 1, 1971, four days before his 17th birthday.
During the next two decades Knight added another 720 wins to his tally.
He also drove hundreds of country winners, along with numerous winners in every Australian state as well as New Zealand. Knight was the leading Melbourne reinsman six times, including the years of his death, despite only driving half the season.
He won 18 Inter Dominion heats – 16 with pacers and two with trotters – and drove in 10 consecutive Inter Dominion Pacing Grand Finals.
First Glimpse was his last winner when he won the inaugural Oceania El Dorado at Moonee Valley on April 6, 1991. Three days later it was announced Knight was dead, four weeks short of his 37th birthday.
Watch: Vin, a Knight to remember
