Hat-trick for Sheree Aides in 100th Driving Winner on Trotters
Harness Racing New Zealand • September 10th, 2024 10:15 AM
Canterbury-based reinswoman Sheree Tomlinson notched up her 100th driving success in the trotters gait at Methven on Sunday - aided by a hat-trick of winning drives.
“I was on ninety nine for a while - which seems to be the way when you’re chasing a personal milestone. I feel like I had a lot of seconds recently on trotters,” Tomlinson said.
“The trotters have always been part of my driving career. It was something personal and special for me, and to do it on one of our own made it really cool.”
Tomlinson enjoys every win as they come - with or without the hopples - but does admit to having an x-factor buzz when it comes to the trotters.
“You can’t beat driving a trotter that’s in form. When they’re trotting good and got good manners you can be pretty confident.
It’s cool seeing them develop, from weanlings at home right through to being racehorses, and even at the start of their career to a couple of seasons down the track and seeing how much they’ve developed and strengthened up. Sometimes you can see that a lot more in the trotters than the pacers.”
Zsazsa Binx who brought up Tomlimson’s 100th success yesterday - trained by Ken Ford and Amanda Tomlinson of West Melton - is perhaps a fine example of this.
“Twelve months ago she couldn’t really trot properly, and was quite rough in her gate so we decided to give her six months in the paddock and it’s been the best thing for her. She’s quite a big filly and has taken a bit more time to come to it.”
Zsazsa Binx and Tomlinson dominated the Methven Seeds Trot (2400m) with a faultless display - stepping away and leading, never in doubt, winning by three and a quarter lengths.
“Hopefully the next step up won’t be too hard for her now that she’s strengthened up.”
Brian Beatt was almost identical in the Ashburton Powdercoating & Sandblasting Trot (2400m). Stepping like a pro and finding the lead where Tomlinson and ‘Brian’ remained, winning by two and a half lengths.
“He is one that won his maiden too quickly and it took him a while to get his bearings in this grade - but now he’s come out and won two this season. Racing through the winter has really helped him.
He’s got such great manners now, and I think there will be more wins for him.”
Although Tomlinson reflects Amaretto Sun’s win in the Group One 2017 Dominion Handicap as technically her most memorable trotting win, another family owned and trained trotter in Marcoola etched a memory for Tomlinson that is equally as significant.
“Marcoola in the mile at Ashburton (2019) and having the record for a mile was also awesome. It’s pretty cool to say I’ve driven one of the fastest trotters in Australasia.”
Tomlinson completed her hat-trick on the Bruce Negus trained Classie Linc in the Rainer Irrigation Handicap Pace. As with the trotters, Classie Linc made a strong beginning from her ten metre unruly mark, to lead and control affairs, holding on to win by three quarters of a length.
Zsazsa Binx won Race 2 at Methven on Sunday - bringing up Sheree Tomlinson's 100th win behind a trotter. Credit: Race Images (raceimages.co.nz)
