Dexter Dunn is Tony Logan's tip to win Horsham's drivers' invitational championship on Monday afternoon
The Decron Horse Care Noel Smith Memorial Drivers Invitational Championship at Horsham is a series rich in history.
And everyone has a ball, not just the stars of the sulky which converge on the three-race series at the Horsham Harness Racing Club.
Horsham Harness Racing Club publicity officer Tony Logan has been on the committee at the Wimmera club virtually "forever’’.
He remembers well the setting up of the inaugural Noel Smith series, named in honour of a local long-time committeeman, club life member, president, trainer and recipient of the Harness Racing Victoria distinguished service medallion.
“Initially it was mainly the South Australian and Victorian drivers who contested the series,” Logan said of the event, which will be staged this Monday.
“We had Lance Justice, John Justice from South Australia, and Lisa Justice, and we also had Gavin Lang, Geoff Webster came over, Vin Knight was in there.”
The Championship was first held in the early 1990s.
This year, Gareth Rattray (Tasmania), Chris Lewis (WA), Ashlee Siejka (New South Wales), Greg Sugars (Victoria), Dexter Dunn (New Zealand), Kerryn Manning (Victoria), Gavin Lang (Victoria), David Harding (South Australia), Chris Alford (Victoria ) and Daryl Douglas (Victoria) will contest the invitational series.
The winning driver receives a Challenger Sprint 2000 sulky, with drivers scoring points for each race. The winning driver receives 11 points, second gets nine, third eight and so forth to last place, which gets one point.
Logan said local horse businesses backed the event, while the Victorian Drivers Association gave a cash donation for some hot drinks and a barbecue to be put on for participants.
Additionally, trainers who have horses driven by the stars in the feature series events have the chance to win harness racing gear donated by local businesses.
Logan said in all his years trying to tip the winner of the series to the local paper, he’d never been successful. Either this means he’s due to nail it, or in the following paragraph he’s put the mozz on someone.
“I haven’t had a good look yet but I reckon Dexter Dunn will go close,” he said.
Good luck, Dexter.
The first event at Horsham on Monday kicks off at 12.22pm.
