Racing Queensland’s Young Guns maintained their unbeaten record with victory in the New Zealand Young Guns Challenge in Auckland last Friday night.
After claiming interstate spoils over New South Wales in the State of Origin series earlier this year, the Queenslanders added some international silverware to the trophy cabinet with a 115-80 victory.
Hayden Barnes (pictured) was the star for Queensland, finishing second in Thursday night’s opening encounter at Ashburton before leading home the Queensland trifecta when he steered 4YO mare Millie Dawson to victory.
Trent Moffatt and Narissa McMullen completed the trifecta for Queensland in what was another great display of the strength of Queensland’s junior driving stocks.
The Young Guns program is designed to give the drivers an opportunity to expand their contact networks and drive on different tracks and the New Zealand trip offered plenty of chances.
The Queenslanders relished the big, sweeping track when they drove the trifecta in Auckland, while visits to a number of farms to trial horses o0pened up the potential to acquire horses from across the Tasman in the future.
RQ Harness Racing Operations Manager David Aldred said the NZ officials were impressed by the depth of talent in Queensland’s young driving ranks and complimented the young drivers on both their presentation and driving skills.
“They were sensational on the track at Ashburton and Auckland with the clean sweep on the official placings in the final race of the series ensuring their outright victory in the NZ Challenge,” Mr Aldred said.
“Hayden Barnes was the stand out performer and claimed the leading driver in the challenge with a win and a second place and he will certainly take a lot of confidence from the trip.”
During the series the drivers were interviewed on TV and signed autographs for harness racing fans.
In more positive news for the concept, HRNZ CEO Edward Rennell has accepted an invitation to organize a NZ team of young drivers to travel to Brisbane in 2015 to attempt to win back the challenge trophy.
