WATCHING his dad win the Canola Cup is a fond childhood memory for Jason Hewitt, and more than 20 years later he was joined in the winner's circle by his own son after taking out the same race.
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The Eugowra Carnival of Cups has been a staple in the Harness Racing NSW calendar for decades, with the feature - the Canola Cup - a race everyone wants to win.
![Jason Hewitt joined by partner and son Grainne Tiernan and Tommy along with family friends after winning the 2023 Canola Cup with Chiseled on Monday, September 2. Picture by Coffee Photography and Framing Jason Hewitt joined by partner and son Grainne Tiernan and Tommy along with family friends after winning the 2023 Canola Cup with Chiseled on Monday, September 2. Picture by Coffee Photography and Framing](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/132219470/a3b0fecd-f3ca-4b06-85f0-8eb35581f3e1.jpg/r0_157_3072_1891_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
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And for Hewitt, training and driving the winner of the 2023 event was a sentimental victory.
"It was unreal to be honest, and a big relief just because I've had so many problems with the horse along the way," Hewitt said.
"I remember the first one Bern [Hewitt's father] won and we were only kids, that always stuck in my memory.
"It's been a great race to our family and it's one of the best meetings on the calendar, so to win in front of a good crowd like that was great."
After winning his heat the previous week very nicely by a 15-metre margin, Hewitt's three-year-old gelding Chiseled came up with barrier 11 in the final.
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![Jason Hewitt driving Chiseled to victory in the 2023 Canola Cup on September 2. Picture by Coffee Photography and Framing Jason Hewitt driving Chiseled to victory in the 2023 Canola Cup on September 2. Picture by Coffee Photography and Framing](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/132219470/37dec6d1-18a7-4b09-9337-e68083f3ac75.jpg/r444_157_3072_1918_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
However drawing outside of the back row didn't worry Hewitt, as it meant he could stay out of any early speed battles, and he knew his runner would give it his all.
When the the race began, Chiseled got a pearler of a start, and by the first bend the gelding had landed in the one-out-one-back position.
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But entering the home straight on the first occasion, the runner Hewitt was following pushed forward to the lead, leaving Chiseled without cover - which wasn't an ideal circumstance.
"I was a bit worried, I thought it might take it's toll because the leader never took hold, he just kept them running and I thought I was going to be left a bit vulnerable," Hewitt said.
But when the horse behind the leader dropped off with a lap to go, Hewitt was able to angle his runner down to the fence and secure some cover over the final stages.
The short breather was all Chiseled needed to secure a tough victory by 6.4 metres.
And just as Hewitt did, joining his father Bernie on the track after his first Canola Cup win all those years ago, Hewitt was joined by his son Tommy and partner Grainne Tiernan for a celebratory winning photo.
Ms Tiernan also owns Chiseled, along with long-time family friend John Ryan, who also made his way out onto the track to greet his gelding after the win.
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