Friday night’s win doubled as her and training partner Paul ‘Tank’ Ellis’ first Group I training triumphant. It was their last race with Watch Me Now given she’s been sold to the United States. Prior to the race, Barclay felt with a bit of luck they could lock in the top-three finish. “Everything just worked out perfectly. We drew badly, and I thought during the week our only chance was if we went forward out of the gate and drove her positively early. “I still can t believe everything worked out to plan. How I wanted to drive her is exactly what happened, that doesn t happen very often,” Barclay said.
The legend of Kerryn Manning soared to new heights on a quiet Monday afternoon (Jan. 25) at the Stawell Harness Racing Club in Victoria, Australia. There might have only been a handful of patrons on track, but they were treated to a moment they will never forget when the champion Great Western driver claimed her 4,000th career victory in the sulky.
Manning, who is already the winningest horsewoman in history, produced a perfect steer on Glenavril King – a horse she also trains – to win the Become A VHRC Member Today Pace.
The sprint lane triumph brought up a milestone close to 30 years in the making, with Manning’s first successful drive being all the way back in 1993 behind Gorgeous Gambit. That horse was prepared by her father, Peter, who was also on track on Monday to witness the occasion.