15 December 2022 | HRNSW MEDIA | MICHAEL DUMESNY
SYDNEY reinsman Josh Gallagher has proven to be dominant force on a regular basis when driving in the Hunter Valley.
But last Friday night the 2021 Inter Dominion-winning driver had one of his best nights at the track when he partnered three winners in the Eastern Region finals of the New South Wales Breeders Challenge at Newcastle.
The 22-year-old Menangle Park horseman has experienced a great run since winning the Inter Dominion last December but claims that achieving a treble of big-race wins on the one program is the “cherry on the top” of a year that he will long remember.
It is not unusual for the freelance reinsman to drive for many stables on the one program and all three of his feature wins last Friday night were for different trainers.
The first of Gallagher’s Breeders Challenge winners came up in the two-year-old colts and geldings’ division when he partnered the Alex Alchin-trained Im Blingin It to a clear win at big odds.
The lightly-raced gelding set a brisk pace in front and rated a fast 1.53.2.
The KerryAnn Morris-trained Vinette won the two-year-old fillies’ final after Gallagher found a needle-eye opening halfway down the straight and his charge was able to snatch victory right on the line.
Gallagher’s third Group 3 win was with the Blake Fitzpatrick-trained Jalaneel and again it was a brilliant front-running drive from him, giving the three-year-old a breather through the second quarter and then giving his opposition little chance to run him down with a 54.8s last half.
To cap off his memorable night, Gallagher drove a fourth winner aboard the Aaron Goadsby-trained Just Home Grown later in the program.
“It was a really good night at the office,” said Gallagher.
“Of course, you go to the track hoping to bag lots of winners, yet you never really expect it will happen.
“I did head to Newcastle quietly confident that I would have a good night, so it was awesome to come away with four winners.
“But I cannot drive winners without the opportunities given to me by trainers and their owners and it was great to repay them on Friday night.”
Gallagher will drive in four of the eight races at Penrith tonight with Cathartic (Race 8) shaping as his best winning chance.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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