Freelance driver Stuart McDonald.
AMANDA RANDO | @Amanda_Rando
AN earthquake helped played part in Stuart McDonald’s harness racing career and now the 22-year-old is ready to take New South Wales by storm.
The New Zealander has been in Australia for five years and is set to make his mark on the Sydney harness scene.
Still currently one of the leading concession drivers in Western Australia having spent five years working in the west, McDonald only arrived in Sydney a couple of months ago but is hoping to make a name for himself here as a freelance driver.
“I really want to be a freelance driver here in Sydney and New South Wales,” McDonald said.
“I would like to stay here until I at least outdrive my concession claim.”
McDonald has been driving for a number of stables since settling into Sydney and has already driven 16 winners since arriving in January.
He has a drive at today’s Tabcorp Park Menangle meeting on board the Shane Sanderson Lucia Bromac – a stable he has been driving for of late.
“I’m hoping she goes well,” he said.
The mare is a former Kiwi, a bit like McDonald himself.
“I don’t plan on going back to New Zealand . . . that’s not home for me anymore,” McDonald said.
“I left there when I was 16 so for most of my adult life I have been in Australia.
“I actually never drove in a race over in New Zealand.
“There was an earthquake at my school and because of that we were transferred to another school.
“That school would have their classes in the mornings and my school’s classes didn’t start until 1pm so that’s when I started working with horses with Wayne Higgs.
“I would work the horses in the morning before I would go to school and it was through Wayne that I started working over in Western Australia with Greg Schofield.
“I then worked for Ross Olivieri for three-and-a-half years before heading to Sydney.”
After driving for Sydney trainer Kevin Pizzuto during the Perth Inter Dominion series last year, McDonald moved east and spent a stint working for Pizzuto’s stable.
For the past two seasons McDonald has been the leading junior driver in Western Australia and ranked amongst the top 10 drivers in that state too.
“I love the racing over there, it’s a lot tougher than what it is here with a lot of half mile tracks,” McDonald said.
“That’s where I first started driving so it will always be special to me.”
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 a Board of Directors and is independent of Government.
To arrange an interview or for further information please contact:
AMANDA RANDO | MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
(02) 9722 6600 • arando@hrnsw.com.au • @Amanda_Rando
