Defending Champion Todd McCarthy is favoured to retain his crown as Australasia’s No.1 young driver with UBET following the opening of a Championship market today. McCarthy heads the market at $3.80 ahead of fellow NSW driver Chris Geary and the Rockstar from Victoria Jason Lee at $4.50. Queenslander Narissa McMullen is next in the market at $5.50.
Click here to access the UBET market.
Racing Queensland’s Darren Clayton provided the following comment on the starters for the series set to commence at Redcliffe on the 13th of December.
NARISSA MCMULLEN
Fresh from another century season, the 3rd of her career, Narissa McMullen will have the hometown advantage and will look to add to her success in the 2014 Lady Drivers Invitational at Menangle. The talented driver has started this season strongly as she moved past 600 career wins and was recently crowned the Seymour Young Achiever of the year for the season 2016/17.
CHRIS GEARY
Chris Geary lines up in the Young Drivers Series off the back of representing NSW in the Australian Driving Championships in Tasmania where he landed victory in two heats before finishing a credible 3rd. Honing in on 400 career victories, Geary took the bronze to make it a ‘Chris’ trifecta, behind Alford and Lewis, both who have over 5,000 career wins each.
TODD McCARTHY
Todd McCarthy will have his share of Queensland supporters despite representing the ‘Cockroaches’. The youngest of the McCarthy clan started his career in the Sunshine State and returns as the defending champion of the AYDC. One of his biggest moments came at Albion Park when successful in the 2012 G2 Garrards Sunshine Sprint and he was recently crowned the leading Metro driver in NSW.
MICHAEL GRANTHAM
Recently surpassing 200 driving wins, Michael Grantham tasted his biggest success when driving Nathans Courage to victory in the WA Nights of Thunder Final held on WA Pacing Cup night. Grantham had a taste of pacing in the east when having one drive on Blacks A Fake night earlier this year at Albion Park.
SHEREE TOMLINSON
Listing the Ordeal Trotting Cup at Addington aboard Ameretto Sun as a career highlight to date, Tomlinson finished 3rd aboard the same gelding at his next start in the G3 Canterbury Park Trotting Cup. Sheree Tomlinson comes into the series having recently been crowned the Canterbury Breeders, Owners, Trainers and Drivers Association’s Harness Racing Junior Driver of the Year.
DYLAN FERGUSON
Bringing up a half-century of winners earlier this year, Dylan Ferguson plies his trade on the North Island where his biggest success came in the North Island Country Cup Final. Ferguson was recently presented with his title for the North Island junior Driver of the Year for the past season where he recorded 22 wins for the term.
KIMBERLY BUTT
With a strong pedigree, Kimberly Butt is also producing the results in the cart and landed her first win aboard the richly talented but injury-plagued Saveapatrol. Based in the South Island, the winner of 70 career races to date has started the latest season in great touch, finishing in the top 2 in 11 of her first 29 drives.
MATT HOWLETT
Winning the 2013 Youngbloods series at just 16 years of age, the Tasmanian put his name alongside some of the best drivers to come out of the Apple Isle when taking the prestigious title. Howlett finished 2nd in the 2016/17 Tasmanian junior driver’s title which followed on from his victory in the 2015/16 season.
JAYDEN BREWIN
Approaching the century of driving wins, Brewin has hit the ground running this season following on from a successful end to last season where he secured the South Australian junior drivers title in just his 2nd season of race driving. Brewin currently leads the overall SA driver’s premiership and has a potent strike rate, finishing in a top 3 position in just under 50% of all appearances.
JASON LEE
Recently crowned the Australian 2YO of the year, Lumineer ended a stellar 2YO term undefeated in 5 starts. In each of his victories, Victorian Jason Lee was at the controls including the G1 APG colts & geldings final. With over 450 career wins, Lee has 3 Group 1 victories to his name, 2 of those coming last season to boast the best credentials at the elite level in the field.
For further details on the Championships head to the Racing Queensland event website.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
