THE saying good things come to those who wait is certainly true when it comes to travelling trainer-driver Len Clement.
With a goal to drive at every track across New South Wales, the Bendemeer horseman came across a slight hiccup when his pacer Atara Blue Chip did not gain a start at West Wyalong’s Carnival of Cups meeting on Sunday thus leaving him without a drive.
Clement would have had to wait until next year to drive at the central west track, however, thanks to fellow horseman Bruce Harpley this won’t be the case.
Harpley’s extremely nice gesture to give up his drive on Starzzz For Brooke in the $10,000 Tabcorp Park Menangle Where Horses Fly heat is something Clement will cherish forever.
“It wasn’t looking good there for a while but thanks to Bruce I will get to have a drive at West Wyalong,” Clement said.
“It’s an incredibly nice thing to do, especially giving me a drive in such a big race.”
It was an easy decision for Harpley as he owns Starzzz For Brooke himself.
“I’m happy to keep Len’s quest going,” Harpley said.
“We own the horse so it was an easy decision to make and I would have felt really bad if Len didn’t get to have a drive at West Wyalong.
“The bottom line is that now Len gets to continue to fulfil his dream.”
West Wyalong is the first stop in the second leg of Clement’s trip around the state.
After being on the road for six months in the first leg and travelling close to 10,000kms, crossing off a number of tracks he had not driven at before, Clement headed back home for a ‘freshen-up’.
Clement, along his wife Christine, packed up the float and hit the road again last week and after ticking West Wyalong off the ‘bucket list’ he will aim to drive at Cootamundra, Coolamon, Forbes, Cowra and Peak Hill in recent weeks.
The soon to be 59-year-old retiree will then head to Sydney where he will aim at Fairfield and Menangle.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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