Danielle Hill 100 winners
Inspirational reinswoman Danielle Hill chalked up her 100th winner for the season at Globe Derby Park on Friday night on the appropriately named Hez The One.
Then on Monday, she added another four on the eight-race program.
Reaching 100 wins was remarkable milestone for the talented 30-year-old who has only one eye after an horrific fall at Globe Derby in May 2010.
The fact that Dani, as she is affectionately known, is driving at all is a tribute to her courage and tenacity, but to drive her 100th winner in a season is testament to her talent.
“Yes it was an extra special thrill,” Dani said. “I drove 122 winners in 2008/09 but to reach 100 this season means more because of everything that has happened.
“But I have had a wonderful team behind me that helped me reach the milestone.
“That goes back to the surgeons, rehab people and more recently the trainers who have been prepared to let me drive their horses.”
Dani’s ability was well known as in 2009 at the Gold Coast she landed the Australasian Young Drivers Championship beating a group of drivers including present day stars such as Dexter Dunn, Nathan Williamson, and Amanda Turnbull.
But her whole world changed on a Monday afternoon, May 17 in 2010 at Globe Derby Park when Puaxtacy crashed to the track which resulted in the loss of her right eye plus facial fractures to her cheek, jaw and nose. She also suffered bleeding to the brain.
Her injuries eventually healed but despite a lot of hard work, surgeons couldn’t repair the break of the optic nerve to the brain.
According to Dani, out of adversity came a treasure.
During her recovery time, Dani and partner, champion reinsman David Harding, celebrated the arrival of a daughter Brooke.
“Before the accident I had no plans of being a mum, now I can’t understand how I could’ve wanted anything else.”
Brooke is now four and as Dani celebrates her milestone, ironically she is helping Harding recover from a dislocated hip and ankle fractures incurred in a fall on June 8 which will see him sidelined for many months.
“I actually love training more than driving,” Danni said. “But financially I have to keep driving to supplement the training.
“I get a real buzz from starting from scratch and trying to get a horse to race to its potential.
“After the injuries, all I wanted to do was get back to training and was happy to adjust to only having the one eye when driving trackwork.
“After a while, the next step was to driving with other horses around and fortunately my peripheral vision is extremely good.
“Like every driver, I hear horses on my outside coming up, the only difference is I have to turn my head a bit more than previously. Once that was mastered it was into trials and then making the decision to drive in races.
“I was a bit ring rusty early but quickly everything came together.”
It certainly has with 94 winners in 2012/13 then 91 winners in 2013/14, and now 100 and still going with the season going to the end of August.
Dani admits she is still inconvenienced by the loss an eye.
“I still bump into things from time to time,” she said. “And I really do have a lot of trouble with escalators when they reach the top and turn into steps, but that’s life.”
There can be no doubting the courage and tenacity of Danielle Hill, a true inspiration.
