Douglas sets sights on new goal
Matt Markham - Raceform • November 27th, 2025 2:20 PM • 5 min read
He’s already ticked off his major goal for 2025, but Hayden Douglas wouldn’t mind adding the title of champion New Zealand junior driver to the mix as well.
Douglas, who is based out of Oamaru, will join 11 of his peers in the six-race annual championship this week, looking to try and end a dry run for the lads against their female counterparts. Since 2018, every championship has been won by a female horsewoman, most notably Sarah O’Reilly who was a four-time winner. So to say Douglas is keen to end the drought would be an understatement.
“I’m really looking forward to it, it’s obviously an honour to make the finals but to be able to perhaps go one further and win would be pretty awesome,” he told RaceForm.
The championship comes hot on the heels of a good few weeks for the former Southlander, including victory at Motukarara on Sunday when he partnered Bettor Be Sharp to success for Gerard O’Reilly.
“I’m pretty happy to be bringing some winning form forward with me, and I was pretty lucky to get a horse like Bettor Be Sharp to drive. Gerard said to me I could drive him however I liked and everything worked out really well.”
With 25 wins on the board heading into Wednesday’s Invercargill meeting, Douglas is enjoying a season that has already surpassed his own expectations from the start of the year.
“I sort of set myself the goal of 24 wins, which worked out to two wins a month. I felt that was pretty achievable, but I’ve had a really good run and now I’m excited to extend that number over the last few weeks of the season hopefully.”
Attached to the Matty Williamson stable, Douglas is the son of successful Invercargill trainer Jeremy and has been around the game for a very long time.
He realises the importance of the championships each year for the juniors and considers himself quite proud to have made the cut.
“Being largely based down in Southland has helped, and I thought if I could get close to that 24-win mark that I’d be going pretty close to qualifying.”
This year’s championships begin at Cambridge on Thursday night, where he’ll make his track debut, and it could be an immediate impact too after he drew the in-form So Mystifying in the first heat. (Race 3)
The Sean McCaffery-trained mare has run second in all three of her starts back from a spell and despite her wide draw looks a strong hope.
“I’m pretty excited to drive her, she’s going really well and if we can overcome the draw she should be a strong hope.”
After Play The Ace in the second heat (Race 5) on Thursday night, the juniors will then head to Addington, where Douglas has missed out on a drive in the third heat due to low numbers, but has landed another in-form runner in One Over Da Line for Robert and Jenna Dunn in the fourth heat. (Race 7 at Addington on Friday night)
“He looks like a nice drive, he’s been really consistent lately and is doing everything but win.”
Things wrap up at Methven on Sunday with the final two heats, where Douglas has Wuhan for Kyle Cameron and grass-track performer Times Are A Changin for Barry Ward.
Douglas will be joined in the championships this year by defending champion Crystal Hackett, plus Seth Hill, Emily Johnson, Mia Holbrough, Ellie Barron, Gemma Thornley, Harrison Orange, Carter Dalgety, Monika Ranger, Sam Thornley and Wilson House.
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