Young driver Will Rixon lands a key drive at Tabcorp Park Menangle today (Tuesday). Photo by Amanda Rando
THERE’S a surplus of talent in our young driving ranks in Sydney at the moment.
While most of our up-and-coming reinsmen and women are good mates, when they take to the track there is little quarter given – or asked for.
Five of our future stars will come up against each other in one race at Tabcorp Park Menangle today and a recent surge of good form will see Will Rixon with the best chance to show his rivals no mercy when he takes the steer on One Hell Of A Ride for trainer Jarrod Alchin in Race 6, the Allied Express App Claiming Pace (1609m).
Rixon has shown he is happy to travel to land a winner or two, resulting in a string of wins in recent weeks, with Canberra and Penrith along his happiest hunting grounds.
He had his first race drive on One Hell Of A Ride at Menangle two weeks ago and after the veteran gelding showed good gate speed, found the lead from gate six and was still there turning for home before he eventually compounded and finished a tiring ninth behind The Texas Ranger.
“This is his first go at the claimers and he is dropping in grade a fair bit, so we expect him to run well,” said Rixon.
Drawn one better today, Rixon will no doubt come out guns blazing and look to take up a forward position and might find his biggest problem in the straight the final time is holding off stablemate Crookwell Jake (Jason Grimson).
With 161 winners beside his name in the season just concluded, Cameron Hart will also expect to be in the finish with another of his well-performed ‘claimers’ in Timely Sovereign.
Owned by former Menangle chairman Rex Horne, Timely Sovereign scored a strong win at Menangle early last month before two stout effort in running third and Hart will no doubt save the gelding for one final crack at them in the straight.
Two other young reinsmen we’ll be reading a lot more about this year will also look to spoil the party for Rixon and co.
Former Riverina youngster Seaton Grima partners Major Currency, while another promising driver Lleyton Green has picked up the drive on outsider Change Of Mind in what should be the best race of the day.
Rixon has an outside chance of a winning double as he will also drive handy mare Oursouthernstar for his trainer/father Peter Rixon in Race 6.
