Teenager Kaela Hryhorec can cheekily joke with her famous uncle Ryan that she has achieved a feat he has been unable to complete during his illustrious career.
At Globe Derby Park last Saturday night, Kaela Hryhorec, 16, in her first full season of driving, drove the card.
The bubbly youngster drove Big Gorilla to success in the opening race, the Ubet Claiming Pace (1800m), then the remainder of the program was abandoned with heavy rain making the track unsafe for mobile barrier starts.
The feature of the night, the $10,000 Spring Challenge final is expected to be run this Friday with the same barrier draw.
Big Gorilla’s win was impressive.
The seven-year-old, a $13.20 chance, came from last on the home turn to score a 3-1/2 metre win from front runner Arnoux ($2.30 fav), with Lark Rise ($26.70) a head away third.
Hryhorec said she thought with a lap to go she would have trouble winning being four back on the fence with nowhere to go.
However, when Ken Rogers on Maywyns Zephyr racing outside her, went forward down the back and she was able to come with and follow up on Big Gorilla.
She went to the extreme outside off the back and once in the straight Big Gorilla wound up and sprinted home powerfully to win up an easy winner.
“I knew turning for home I could win,” Hryhorec said.
“With that fast third quarter (30.7 seconds) I thought the leaders would get tired and they did.”
The winner is trained by Ryan Hryhorec who is currently suspended from driving and took the opportunity to have a “night off” from the sport.
Stable foreman Matt Maguire praised Kaela’s drive.
“That is his go,” Maguire said.
“He is a sit-sprinter and Kaela did the right thing ‘burying’ him away early then coming with one run.
“He is a good horse when able to be driven that way.”
Maguire plays cricket for the Angle Vale Cricket Club and revealed a punting syndicate from the club would have been delighted with the result as it had a sizeable investment on Big Gorilla at $15 which means the end-of-season break up will be very sociable.
The win resulted in Hryhorec going to the top of the SA Young Drivers premiership with Brodie Webster and Michael Smith on five wins, with Jayden Brewin close up on four.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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