Not As Promised Photo by Stuart McCormick
OF all the wonderful Australian harness racing stories in 2023, the phenomenal success of Nathan Dawson is right up with the best of them.
The 28-year-old Queensland driver has been propelled on a much bigger and broader Australasian stage through his 400-plus winners for the season, and association with a top young trotter called Not As Promised.
It was only fitting he reached 400 wins for the season with the spotlight on Queensland during the recent Inter Dominion series.
Dawson became not only the first Queensland driver to top 400 wins in a season but also the second in Australia to do so. Hall of Famer Chris Alford is the other, having done it twice, including his record 456 wins in season 2017/18.
At last count, Dawson was more than 140 wins clear of his nearest rival, WA great Gary Hall Jr, as the leading Australia driver for the season.
"I set myself a goal of winning an average of a race a day for the season, and I've done even better, so I'm thrilled," Dawson said.
"I've had great support from so many trainers, especially Jack Butler, Shawn Grimsey and Graham Dwyer."
"I've also kept myself out of trouble a lot better this season. I used to get suspended too often, but I've matured a lot in that regard."
A typical week will see Dawson drive six days across Albion Park, Redcliffe and Marburg.
"It's pretty full-on, and I try to drive in as many races as I can at each meeting," he said. "It alternates between having Sunday or Monday off, depending on where the meetings are."
But Dawson's season has been a breakthrough in quality and quantity, beating some of his most respected peers in the Australian Drivers' Championship in Hobart in October and snaring two Group 1 wins to take his career tally to five.
The Drivers' Championship on October 21 was dramatic, with big storms halting it halfway through the series but enough heats being conducted to declare a winner.
"I was still on a high from that when Not As Promised took me into the big races in Victoria," Dawson recalled.
"His win in the Victoria (Trotters') Derby when almost nobody gave him a chance was a huge thrill."
"And then he backed it up to win the Breeders Crown final a few weeks later, too."
"To win those Group 1s away from home was something really special."
The gift that was 2023 kept giving for Dawson in December when he drove in the Inter Dominion series for the first time in his own backyard at Albion Park.
Although he didn't contest the pacing final and finished at the rear aboard Adelle in the trotting final, it was another chapter Dawson will cherish.
"While I'm looking forward to next year, it'll be hard to ever top the success and opportunities I've had this year," Dawson said.
