Victorian driver James Herbertson claimed his second Australian Drivers Championship in Hobart on Sunday afternoon, continuing his outstanding year in the sulky.
This season the 25-year-old will claim his second consecutive Australian Drivers Premiership, had a working holiday for two months driving four winners across the USA and Europe, plus success in The Ascent in New Zealand last month.
Herbertson, who previously won the Australian Drivers Championship at Globe Derby in 2022, also had success this year in the Australasian Young Drivers Championship in Queensland.
“On a personal note, it has been a massive year. I don’t think there’s anything more I could have achieved. It has been a tough year, losing our good mate (Greg Sugars), but on a personal note, it has been a great year. It has been bittersweet, really,” said Herbertson.
Herbertson won two of the six heats and was placed in a further two in the five heats he contested.
Here is how the six-heat series unfolded.
Heat 1
South Australian driver Ryan Hryhorec was participating in his seventh championship, and he secured maximum points in the opening heat when Restrepo gelding Goodtime Oscar ($8.50) proved too tough for his rivals after racing outside the leader.
“He felt halfway up the straight that he was always going to do enough,” said Hryhorec.
The four-year-old gelding has now won four of his 33 starts.
Heat 2
Former Victorian pacer Howsweetthesound ($8) claimed his maiden win when taking out the second heat for West Australian driver Deni Roberts.
The gelded son of Sweet Lou was given a lovely run behind the leader before getting out in plenty of time to run down the leader, Sweet Amour, for fellow West Aussie Shannon Suvaljko.
“He travelled like the winner, the whole race, and I was quietly confident sitting there,” said Roberts.
Heat 3
Tammy Langley prepared the first two heat winners, and she made it the first three heats, when Tell All three-year-old filly Itsmenotu ($2.35 fav) appreciated a drop in class to return to the winners list.
Driven by series winner James Herbertson, the three-year-old daughter of Tell All was able to lead all the way to score by 3.5m.
“We got a good trip, and they left us alone enough (in the lead), and she was able to rip home a nice quarter, and she did it quite well,” Herbertson said.
Heat 4
Local driver Rohan Hillier moved up the points table, partnering the Greg Scott-trained Photo First ($3.40) to his fourth win of the season.
Hillier did a mighty job to keep the pacer in his right gait nearing the 400m, where he raced roughly for a stride or two.
“He has done a terrific job. That was a step up in grade, and he handled them pretty good,” Hillier said post-race about the gelded son of Village Jolt.
Heat 5
Talented three-year-old Art Major colt Horatius Speculo ($3) took his record to seven wins from 13 starts with an all-the-way win for Queensland representative Angus Garrard.
“He made my job easy. He is a very classy colt. He did it pretty easily. If something had come and raced him, he felt like he had another gear there,” said Garrard.
The mile rate of 1:56.4s was the quickest winning mile rate of the program.
Trainer Tammy Langley is now aiming the pacer at the $20,000 North Eastern Pacing Cup at Scottsdale next month.
Heat 6
Three-year-old Art Major gelding Wazza ($1.95 fav) ended the brilliant day for both reinsman James Herbertson and trainer Tammy Langley in the final heat with an all the way win.
“We probably would have liked to have gone a bit quicker (early in the race), but he didn’t want to. He did rev up through the last half, and he was too strong in the end,” said the winning driver about the pacer who has now won six races this season.
Points Table
- James Herbertson (VIC) 61
- Ryan Hryhorec (SA) 48
- Shannon Suvaljko (WA) 43
- Deni Roberts (WA) 42
- Rohan Hillier (TAS) 41
- Ashleigh Delosa (NSW) 39
- Angus Garrard (QLD) 37
- Kate Gath (VIC) 32
- Will Rixon (NSW) 30
- Dylan Ford (TAS) 29
- Wayne Hill (SA) 21
- Nathan Dawson (QLD) 19
