Annalise Scott admits she didn’t realise the adrenalin rush associated with driving in races.
Scott achieved a career milestone when she steered home her first winner aboard the Chris Svanosio-trained Chief Runningcloud at Cranbourne on Sunday.
Chief Runningcloud stepped cleanly from his 20m backmark before settling three horses back along the pegs, but Scott was able to navigate her way into the one wide line around the home turn on the final occasion.
Once in the clear, Chief Runningcloud ($13) began to build momentum and quickly gathered in his rivals to score running away by two-and-a-half metres from Roi Du Soleil and Our Safari Run.
“He was pretty well jogging and then he got the momentum and picked them up quickly in the straight,” Scott said.
The 21-year-old Scott forged the traditional pathway from pony club to the equestrian discipline of dressage, but concedes driving in races wasn’t part of her original journey.
“I worked in a dressage stable and wasn’t really thinking about harness racing,” she said.
However, Scott was never far from the sport, working as a swab assistant at several country tracks.
“I was working at Kilmore and got to know a few trainers. And people like Tay French said it was fun to drive in races and if I wanted to try it then I should,” she said.
A subsequent phone call to Svanosio altered Scott’s career path.
“I heard that Chris was looking for workers so I rang him and decided to give it a go,” she said.
“It feels good in the sulky and I’ve got the bug now.”
The timing of her maiden win wasn’t lost on Scott.
“Sunday was exactly two years ago when I first jogged a horse,” she said.
Scott secured her driver’s licence two months ago and has had to endure a run of placings before saluting at her 18th race drive.
“Alby Ashwood gave me quite a few drives at the trials so I could get my licence and Ash Warton has been good in giving me drives,” she said.