A select group of talented young drivers will go head-to-head around Victoria this week in a quest to land one of the most coveted titles in Australian and New Zealand harness racing.
Six Australians and three New Zealanders will contest the 2022 Haras des Trotteurs Australasian Young Drivers Championships leading up to and culminating on Inter Dominion grand final night at Melton on Saturday.
NZ South Island’s reigning champion Sarah O’Reilly, who won the championship when it was last contested in 2019, heads the line-up.
She will be joined by fellow Kiwis Sam Thornley (South Island) and Crystal Hackett (North Island), and Australians Tayla French (Victoria), Emily Suvaljko (Western Australia), Brendan Barnes (Queensland), Jordan Chibnall (Tasmania), Cam Hart (New South Wales) and Samantha Pascoe (South Australia).
Hart also contested the 2019 series.
The championship will be decided over nine races at five meetings on four different tracks.
It starts at Melton on Tuesday night and will then go to Ballarat on Wednesday night, Maryborough on Thursday, Bendigo on Friday night and Melton on Saturday night.
They will contest two races at each of the first four meetings, and one on Inter Dominion grand final night at Tabcorp Park to wrap up the series.
Harness Racing Australia has secured the Ballarat-based Haras des Trotteurs, which operates across Australia and NZ, as the major sponsor.
Haras des Trotteurs is operated by Pat Driscoll and stands an internationally-acclaimed roster of stallions offering the best European and North American trotting bloodlines, including all-time French great Love You and Northern American Breeders Crown two-year-old champion On A Streak.
Points will be allocated on the following basis:
NINE STARTERS
1st 16 points; 2nd 11; 3rd 8; 4th 6; 5th 5; 6th 4; 7th 3; 8th 2; 9th 1
EIGHT STARTERS
1st 15 points; 2nd 10; 3rd 7; 4th 5; 5th 4 6th 3; 7th 2; 8th 1
SEVEN STARTERS
1st 14 points; 2nd 9; 3rd 6; 4th 4; 5th 3 6th 2; 7th 1
In races which feature less than nine starters, either through a scratching or lack of acceptances, five points will be allocated to the driver and/or drivers who miss a race.
PAST WINNERS
2019 - Sarah O’Reilly (NZ)
2018 - Sheree Tomlinson (NZ)
2017 - Narissa McMullen (Queensland)
2016 - Todd McCarthy (NSW)
2015 - Robbie Close (NZ South Island)
2014 - Andrew Poutama (NZ North Island)
2013 - Chris Voak (WA)
2012 - Ellen Tormey (Victoria)
2011 - Josh Dickie (NZ North Island)
2010 - Gareth Rattray (Tasmania)
2009 - Danielle Hill (SA)
2008 - Stephen Reed (WA)
2007 - James Austin (Tasmania)
2006 - Jay Abernethy (NZ North Island)
2005 - James Rattray (Tasmania)
2004 - Trevor Munday (NSW)
2003 - Gareth Rattray (Tasmania)
2002 - Michael Bellman (Victoria)