What do Lazarus, Have Faith In Me, Smolda and Denbeigh Wade all have in common? They are all bound for the NZ Trotting Cup.
While Mark Purdon’s crew are subject to change, a season of improvement and commitment to the sport has booked Wade’s ticket to the big day, having been selected as the inaugural winner of the Association of Victorian Country Harness Racing Club’s Professional Development Award.
The gong acknowledges Wade’s significant ascent in the sulky, having almost doubled her career wins and more than doubled her career placings in 2015-16.
The award gifted Wade a $1500 travel voucher to attend a feature harness racing event interstate or overseas and to visit leading training establishments while away.
Association of Victorian Country Harness Racing Club chief executive David Brick said the award would help her development and continuation in the trots.
“The promotion and fostering of participation in our industry is a key focus of clubs and our association, therefore we have aimed to identify development and training opportunities, particularly for younger or new participants, to assist them to forge a career in the trots,” Mr Brick said.
‘We are thrilled to have Denbeigh as the inaugural winner of the award and look forward to supporting her development through her attendance at this year’s NZ Trotting Cup carnival.”
Having obtained her drivers’ license in February 2010, in her first five seasons Wade totalled 179 starts for 14 wins and 36 placings, then in 2015-16 alone she enjoyed 151 starts that produced 13 wins and 41 placings, including her first metro win driving The Noble Steed in the DNR Logistics Vicbred Pace in December.
Wade was selected from a pool of six drivers who competed in a series of concession drivers races throughout 2015/16, which also included rising star Brad Chisholm and trainer-driver Brad Barnes, who had recent success with trotters Hadrians Phoneix and Veruckte Phoenix
In addition to race performance, drivers use of social media, raceday presentation, previous background and industry involvement were taken into consideration by the judging panel, which consisted of representatives from clubs, Harness Racing Advisory Council, HRV Stewards panel, Victorian Trainers and Drivers Association and co-sponsor Bendigo Harness Racing Training Centre.
Mr Brick said the association also recently committed funding to the HRV HERO program to help Kylie Reeves hone her skills working with retired racehorses and sponsored attendance by club administrators at seminars and conferences.
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