By Duane Ranger
Cambridge junior driver Mark Johnson knows just how hard it is to attract outside drives but is hoping he can launch his career after achieving North Island honours at Alexandra Park earlier this month.
The 20-year-old backed up that ‘Premier Cadet’ prize at the annual North Island Harness Racing Awards with his first win of the season at Cambridge Raceway last Thursday.
“I had so many people I didn’t know come up to me and congratulate me on Awards night. It was a huge honour both winning and having such nice people come to me.
“It’s all about getting my name out there. I haven’t got any new drives as a result of that night but at least I know more people now and they know who I am, and that’s what it’s all about in this game – getting people to know and believe in you,” Johnson said.
“I’m also very grateful to the sponsors – Auckland Harness Racing Trust for the Award. There were other good quality nominees who could have won it,” he added.
Johnson has been driving for less than two seasons. His fifth career win came via a very nice drive behind his boss’s (Arna Donnelly) pacer – He’s Novak – in the $7,000 Dunstan Feeds R59 to R70 Junior Drivers Mobile.
“It was an amazing feeling to be travelling so well and to be able to pull out and go around the rest of the field at speed. Then to know that you are travelling well enough to win.
‘It doesn’t happen often because my other wins have been near or on the pace. It was an awesome feeling. He’s a big Elsu (4yo) who is a pleasure to drive,” Johnson said.
“I’m grateful to the owners – Arna, and Graeme and Bev Hulston for putting me on,” he added.
Johnson has now landed five wins and 10 placings from 73 starters since 2015. He has a one from three strike rate this season.
Johnson’s first win came via the Donnelly trained Pure Christian, also at Cambridge Raceway on June 2 last year. His first Alexandra Park winner came 58 days later via the Donnelly trained No Way Else.
“All l I want to be is a good driver. I’ve won the Cadet Award and now I want to win a Juniors title, and I can only get that if people give me a chance and then see that I can drive.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunities Arna has given me, but outside the stable there haven’t been too many opportunities,” Johnson said.
Johnson had no desire to drive standardbreds when he was a little fella growing up in Wollongong (NSW) in Australia.
But that all changed in 2007 when his father, Mike, his Mum, Leanne and his five brothers and sisters relocated from New South Wales to Hamilton. Johnson senior took up a position as a computer programmer.
Then in stepped Peter and Wendy Ferguson from Waikato Kidz Kartz and an excitable 11-year-old Australian kid became hooked on our great sport.
“The moment he sat behind a Kidz Kartz pony that was it. Peter and Wendy were great. They really fuelled his fire. We had never seen anything like that in Australia.
“We couldn’t believe how much Mark had taken to the horses and then when he started driving Kidz Kartz winners that was it. We saw how passionate he was about driving,” Johnson’s father said.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
