Ottley eyes 900 wins with strong rides at Oamaru today
Jonny Turner • December 10th, 2025 9:34 AM • 3 min read
Samantha Ottley will try to tick off one milestone while working towards another at Oamaru on Wednesday.
The leading reinswoman will go into the card of grass track racing on 899 career wins in New Zealand.
Ottley has been in red-hot form in the sulky and it appears there is little chance she will hang around in the nervous nineties for too long.
And she can’t afford to do that if she is to tick off another goal this year.
Ottley made history when becoming the first woman to drive 100 winners in a season in 2024.
The reinswoman has 84 wins so far this year and was at a comparable position last year, before going on an end of season winning spree.
Ottley will be doing her best to repeat that feat, but knows she will need to keep up her current form to do so.
“I would love to get to a hundred again.”
“Last year I had five wins at Westport and two at Cambridge, where I wouldn’t usually be driving.”
“You really need a push along like that at some stage if you are going to get there.”
“Hopefully we can do it, I will be doing my best.”
“This year has gone really well, Jumal has been a highlight as well as Francent.”
“I have probably had more times when I have been away driving in feature races.”
“But those are the races you are always trying to win.”
Ottley has a strong book of Oamaru drives on Wednesday before reuniting with Francent in Friday night’s Gr.1 Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park.
Many of her best chances are youngsters from the Mark Jones stable.
“I have got a few drives that look really nice chances on paper.”
“But some are young ones that are still learning.”
“They are horses to follow, but they are not just sit and steer jobs.”
The Mark Jones trained A Bettors Legacy is typical of that.
The pacer looks the best horse in Wednesday’s opener, but he is facing his first standing start under race conditions.
“He has only had the one stand at the trials and I gave him a couple of goes in the warm up and he wasn’t so good, but he got it right when it counted.”
“We have given him a bit more practice at home since then.”
“A few of the horses in that field have had a few chances, if he steps away, he would have to be a pretty good hope.”
Ottley is hopeful Stormy Vista can also do things right in Wednesday’s finale, also under standing start conditions.
“I was rapt with him first up, I thought being off the front line he would be well placed in that field.”
“He usually has great manners which will be a big help.”
Mighty Flying Miki and Kowhai Sunburst look strong hopes for the Ottley-Jones combination.
