12 March 2018 | Shane Yates for Tasracing
South Australian superstar reinswoman Danielle Hill made a one-act affair of the Australian Female Drivers Championship on Sunday night in Launceston.
Hill took the inaugural Series by storm winning five of the nine heats, showing the brilliance and expertise that has taken her to the top of her chosen sport.
Danielle took a stranglehold on the Series early in the night with the Paul Ashwood-trained Krafty Boy ($3.40) leading all the way for victory over the popular pick Similan Beach in the opening race.
In Heat two, Hill had last-start winner Im Compliant ($3.90) parked midfield on the inside in the final circuit but found the gap to angle away from the pegs at the 400-metre mark and rattle down the outside to claim Buster William, driven by Kristy Grant, to score by a neck for trainer Rohan Hillier.
Christopher Howlett’s Rockin An Runnin ($6.50) was the next to salute for Danielle in Heat four after enjoying the run of the race one-out and one-back, she then proceeded to follow up with a go-to-whoa victory in the sixth Heat on No Apachemee ($8.50).
The clash of the night was expected to be the battle of young gladiators Semowillrev($1.60) and Izah ($2.40) as they continued their build-up for the Group 3 Tasmanian Derby on April 8 and the two-star three-year-olds kept their end of the deal.
Izaha showed pace from the mobile to lead at the first turn for Lisa Ryan while Hill allowed Semowillrev (pictured) to settle back in ninth position before setting the Craig Hayes prepared favourite alight turning into the back straight.
Semowillrev cruised up to sit outside Izaha at the 1400 before surging to the front at the bell and lifting the tempo of the race heading to the back stretch.
Danielle hit the ‘go’ button on the Semowillrev racing to the 400-metre pole and the Sportswriter-Sur La Plage gelding fired away to notch up his seventh win from eight career starts, running a final quarter of 27.7 seconds.
Australian Female Drivers Championship Points Table
- 130 – Danielle Hill (SA)
- 77 – Dannielle McMullen (QLD)
- 71 – Kate Gath (VIC)
- 66 – Kerryn Manning (VIC)
- 66 – Amanda Turnbull (NSW)
- 66 – Ellen Rixon (NSW)
- 65 – Narissa McMullen (QLD)
- 64 – Jocelyn Young (WA)
- 55 – Natalee Emery (TAS)
- 54 – Kristy Grant (TAS)
- 49 – Lisa Ryan (SA)
- 38 – Deni Roberts (WA)
Danielle’s standing in Australian sport continues to grow, already a recipient of the Tanya Denver Award as South Australia’s top female sportsperson.
It hasn’t always been plain sailing for the diminutive Hill, if anyone knows the ups and downs of sport it’s Danielle.
In 2009, on the Gold Coast, Hill clinched the Australasian Young Drivers Championship.
A year later she was fighting for her life after the horse she was driving at Globe Derby was involved in a horrific fall.
Danielle suffered bleeding on the brain and lost her right eye when surgeons were unable to repair the damage to the optic nerve to the brain.
Her fight for life and her triumphant return to the track is the stuff of legends, there could be no more fitting winner of the inaugural Australian Female Drivers Championship than the highly gifted and courageous South Australian reinswoman Danielle Hill.
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