IT did not hold Group status or the biggest purse he has ever chased, but Bernie Hewitt will long remember his success in Sunday’s Tom and Angela Hewitt Memorial.
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It was because the Goulburn Harness Racing Club feature race he won with Royal Story is named to honour his parents.
It was the first time the Georges Plains trainer-driver had done so since the inaugural edition of the memorial was staged in 2010.
“I’ll remember this one, there’s no risk about that. We’re hoping to build this up as we’re a big family involved in harness racing,” Hewitt said.
“We had a bit of a chat amongst ourselves as a family and we want to build it up to be bigger and better each year … but for us it wouldn’t matter what value race it was, it is in memory of Mum and Dad, so all us kids and grandkids are keen to target it.
“I put my best one in it, it was Mum and Dad’s race so I had to go for my biggest and best out of my stable at the moment.”
Royal Story, a four-year-old Always A Virgin x Leagueoferown mare, has been a star performer for Hewitt.
Last season she won the Group 1 New South Wales Breeders Challenge Three Year Old Fillies Final, while she was “beaten by a lip” in the Group 3 Inter City Pace Final at Maitland prior to heading to Goulburn.
With a barrier two draw she was backed into $2.20 favouritism and while Royal Story was able to live up to that tag, she did have to work for it over the 2,240 metres trip.
Hewitt was crossed early on by I Am Serengeti, but after finding himself one out and one back, quickly set off three wide.
Royal Story found the lead down the back straight and behind her the field stretched out over some 150 metres.
As the bell for the final lap sounded the second favourite, Our Triple Play driven by Bernie’s son Doug, rolled up on the outside of Royal Story. There was a head between them with 600 to go, but that’s as close as any rival got.
Royal Story won by 4.7m over Colin Mattgregor ($10.90) in a 1:58.0 mile rate.
“I just got crossed at the start, I missed the the kick a bit and got squeezed up,” Hewitt said. “But I soon got her back out of the trail and went forward, she worked to the front.
“That one of Lauren Tritton’s [Colin Mattgregor] ducked into the sprint lane and came back at her, but she finished well.
“She raced some pretty good quarters, it was blowing a gale into the straight, but she ran the quickest last quarter of the day. She ran a 28.3 and like I said, when she turned it was like hitting a brick wall, so she’s done pretty well there.”
Hewitt plans to return to Goulburn with Royal Story on January 28 for the $19,080 Goulburn Rose, while he will also target the $25,500 Canberra Cup on February 4.
