LAST year Amy Rees got her first taste of what it was like to drive in the final of the Bathurst Harness Racing Club’s prestigious Soldiers Saddle series and now as she returns for more, the stakes have been upped.
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The Queensland native and former Young Drivers Challenge winner steered the Leigh Davis trained Studleigh Kristen in last year’s saddle decider, coming from one out and five back with a lap to travel to place fifth with the $26.40 chance.
Ahead of her another of Davis’ runners – Sonny Studleigh – placed a narrow half neck second to Amanda Turnbull’s Eliza Dushku, who won the decider in a hot 1:54.1 mile rate.
This Wednesday night at the Bathurst Paceway the 2018 edition of the annual Soldiers Saddle will commence with three heats run over 1,730 metres.
Amongst those contenders will be a member of Rees’ own team – five-year-old Sams Express. This time her bid for success will be both as a trainer and a driver.
READ MORE: Rees starts 2018 with a win at Bathurst
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READ MORE: Turnbull guides Eliza Dushku to saddle
If he finishes in the first six he will advance to the semi-finals and from there, hope to qualify for the $15,000 final.
While Rees admits she did not specifically aim her Dawn Ofa New Day x Art Express gelding at the series, she’s happy he will line up in heat two.
“The club had a similar series not long ago – the Star Trek – I drove in that but I didn’t have a horse that I trained in it,” she said.
“I’ve had him nominated for a couple of races over the last few weeks and he hasn’t been getting a run, so I pretty much just nominated him in every possible race I could to try and get him a run and it worked out that he could get in this, so I’m happy.
“It’s a really good process [heats-semis], it does give everyone a bit of a chance to pick up some money and it’s good to have the restricted heats because it means you are going to have more people in there wanting to win it because they are not going to lose that country class.”
Though Wednesday will be Sams Express’ first start in almost three weeks, he has been in handy touch for Rees with three thirds and a second from his last four runs.
He has copped a tricky barrier four draw for his heat, but given his versatile nature, Rees does have options.
“He’s a real nice, consistent horse. He sort of went off a little bit in some of the harder races, so it’s probably a bit of a class drop for him, but there are still a couple of nice ones in it,” she said.
“The draw is a little bit awkward, he doesn’t really have gate speed, so I’m just going to have to make the most of the small field and see where he ends up, hopefully I’ll slot in somewhere and just play it by ear.
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“He’s quite versatile, lately I’ve been driving him with a sit and he’s been getting home really well. His first few starts for me and before I had him, he used to get driven quite tough and he’d go well, so I am lucky in that sense.
“I can put him into it and know he’ll keep going, if I get a nice sit I know he’ll sprint home – either way he should be right in it.
“If he doesn’t do too much early he tends to get home quite well, he’s got a good last half in him. Otherwise, if driven tough, he loses that bit of sprint, but you just turn it into a bit of a stayers race then and whoever is toughest comes out on top.”
The first of the three heats is set for 5.37pm.
