Rising star Jordan Leedham is among the headline acts for this year’s Decron Horse Care Noel Smith Memorial Horsham Harness Racing Invitational Drivers Championship, with nominations closing at midday today (June 5).

Now in its 34th edition, the prestigious invitational event is named in honour of the late Noel Smith, a long-serving Horsham Harness Racing Club committee member, past president and delegate.

Smith’s enormous contribution to the Victorian harness racing industry – both locally and more widely – is remembered through this annual series. He was posthumously honoured with a Distinguished Service Medal by Harness Racing Victoria in 1994.

“The invitational was once a national drivers’ challenge, even with invitees from New Zealand for a period of time. But the COVID years forced a shift to a Victorian-only format,” club publicity officer Tony Logan said.

“Now we extend invitations to the top drivers from the previous season’s metropolitan premiership.  James Herbertson was last year’s champion, but he’s currently overseas after a winning campaign in the USA and Sweden, and sadly this year’s field will also be without perennial challenger and much-loved reinsman Greg Sugars,” he said.

The 2024 invitational will feature five “challenge” races, with horses to be randomly allocated a driver from the following list of 10 invitees: Chris Alford, Jackie Barker, Glen Craven, Matt Craven, Jason Lee, Jack Laugher, Jordan Leedham, Kerryn Manning, Michael Stanley and Chris Svanosio.

All challenge races are penalty-free, offering great opportunities for trainers and connections.

The event’s honour roll is filled with legends of the sulky: the late Gavin Lang (four-time winner); Daryl Douglas (four-time winner); and single wins to Chris Alford, John Caldow, Dexter Dunn (NZ), Greg Sugars, Jason Lee, and Kate Gath. Recent champions include Jack Laugher (2022), Ellen Tormey (2023), and James Herbertson (2024).

With the door open for new stars to shine, 22-year-old Leedham presents among the top contenders. The in-form reinsman, who works full time for trainer Andy Gath, is enjoying a purple patch, including a Melton winning double last week.

“Andy and Kate are giving me great opportunities, and it certainly does make you put in at the stables when you are getting those chances on nicer horses!” Leedham, who drove Yambukian to victory for Gath at Melton last Saturday night, said.

“It kind of builds on itself.  People start noticing and you get better opportunities on nicer horses across the board and now I’m getting four or five drives at meetings, instead of one or two,” he said.

“I think then you haven’t got so much white line fever, thinking ‘this is my only drive for the day, or my only drive for three days’ – you can get out there and relax and enjoy it, you do things better and you can think your way through.

“I’ve never been in anything like this (the Horsham Invitational) before so it will be great, and fingers crossed I can keep the good run going next Wednesday.”  

This year also marks the 15th Industry Participants Appreciation Day, with the club paying tribute to the owners, trainers, drivers and stablehands who make the meeting possible.

“There’ll be plenty of lucky draws and giveaways on race day,” Logan said.

“It’s our way of saying thank you to the people who support the club and who keep the industry running.”

Prizes have been kindly donated by Decron Horse Care, Carbine Chemicals, Zilco, Worlds Best Hoof Oil, Oringi Protection Wear, Flyveils by Design, Mustad Australia, Hyland Harness Colours, Claire Weston Photography, Hygain, Melton Entertainment Park, Virbac Australia, the Victorian Harness Racing Trainers and Drivers Association, and Harness Racing Victoria.

Nominations for the five-race series close with HRV at noon today.