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IT’S been 10 years since Brad Hewitt received his licence in harness racing and on Saturday July 16 he drove in his 2,000th race behind his star five-year-old, 2016 Canberra Cup winner Tullow.
Three races later Brad and Stanley Ross Robyn finished third-placed in the Group Two, Queensland Derby.
Among a group of other trainers that escape the cold in winter, Brad took a team of three to the Sunshine State to compete in the Winter Carnival for the third year in-a-row.
Born and bred into the harness racing industry, along with his brothers Sam and Scott and sister Jess on their family property in Crookwell, Brad first jumped in the sulky when he was eight and hasn’t looked back, going on to take out the Drivers Encouragement Award in 2009, competing in the 2009 Rising Stars Series and being selected to go to America for the World Drivers’ Championship in 2011.
Other than harness racing, Brad enjoys the thrill of playing in the local rugby league team.
It was through the sport, he met friend and Canberra Raiders captain, Jarrod Crocker.
Jarrod and Brad both played on the same team, the Goulburn Stockmen and Jarrod took an interest in the horses with Brad in 2014 when he purchased shares in Im Jay Tee.
The owner/trainer partnership now have seven horses together and celebrated a treble in 2015 at Canberra with My Trial By Jury, Monterey Jack and Tullow.
Tullow proved himself to the boys being purchased for just $10,000 and now having won over $100,000.
Brad explains his greatest win as a trainer was in the Breeders Challenge Blue Final in 2015 with Spare Me Days and his greatest drive was behind the same horse when they took out the 2016 Bulli Cup.
With currently eight horses in work of his own and around 30 combined at his father’s stables along cousin Blake, Brad hopes in the long run to have set himself up on a property, training some nice horses with his long-term partner Milly.
Who do you think is the best driver? Mark Purdon
Who is the best looking person in Harness Racing? Miracle Mat Rue
If you could be one celebrity for a day who would it be? Hugh Hefner
What is your worst vice? Road rage with bad and slow drivers
Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW) is the controlling body for harness racing in New South Wales with responsibility for commercial and regulatory management of the industry including 33 racing clubs across the State. HRNSW is headed by an industry-appointed Board of Directors and is independent of Government.
To arrange an interview or for further information please contact:
Amanda Rando
MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
p: (02) 9722 6600
e: arando@hrnsw.com.au