Chris Alford didn’t have his best night at office at Moonee Valley last night, but the champion reinsman still emerged from it with yet another Victorian metropolitan driver’s premiership.
The Bolinda-based driver might not have added to his season tally of 33 winners at Moonee Valley – his best result from six drives was a fourth placing in the opening race - but it didn’t prevent him from winning an eighth metropolitan driver’s title.
He finished six wins clear of Kerryn Manning, with Daryl Douglas back in third spot on 25 wins.
Despite being an old hand at winning premierships, Alford still gets a great sense of achievement out of winning the Victorian metropolitan driver’s title.
“There’s plenty of opposition in the driving ranks down here, so it’s a good award to win if you can manage it,” he said.
“It feels just as good as the first one.”
That first title came in 1993/94. Alford went on to win the next five metro driver’s titles before having to take a back seat to Kerryn Manning for several seasons.
He bounced back to win last season’s title and made it back-to-back wins with this year’s victory.
“It’s been good to be out of it for a while and then get back up there and win a couple in a row,” Alford said.
Alford couldn’t split A.G. Hunter Cup Day and Victoria Cup Night, when he drove four winners at each meeting, as his most memorable achievements of the season.
“They’re our two biggest meetings of the season, so to drive four winners at both of them was pretty special,” he said.
