By Duane Ranger
Expect New Zealand’s leading amateur driver to go four wins ahead in the national premiership following the first race at Cambridge Raceway tonight.
Sheryl Wigg has driven seven winners from 16 starts in 2016-2017. She has also placed four times and boasts and very healthy 0.5625 UDR strike-rate. Canterbury amateur, Colleen Negus, is second with four wins.
“I’m hoping I can make it eight wins after Thursday because my drive is working real well and should go close. He’s copped an awkward draw but I still think he’s good enough to win from seven,” Wigg said.
The 45-year-old Kumeu driver opted for the Tim Vince trained and R66 rated Drover’s Eyre over the R71 ranked Chal Shocked (David Branch), who has drawn the outside of the front row in the $6,000 Fairview Amateur Drivers Mobile for the R56-plus pacers.
“I actually thought my (twin) sister was going to drive Drover’s Eyre but she has her own horse in the race (Bourbon Street).
“Drover’s Eyre worked real well this morning and is really firing on all cylinders at the moment. I thin he can win,” Wigg said.
Meanwhile, the top six North Island and top six South Island amateurs will head to Canterbury next week for the New Zealand Amateur Driving Champs at Addington Raceway and Rangiora.
“I’ll be heading down for one heat at Addington next Friday and then another two at Rangiora two days later. I finished second behind John McDermott last year and would so love to go one better. I want to be New Zealand champion,” said Wigg.
Wigg has now driven 14 winners from 47 starters (all pacers) since becoming an advanced amateur in 2014-2015. Her career UDR strike rate is a brilliant 0.4539.
“My aim at the start of the season was to double my tally (5) and win 10 this season. I’d like to think that I can still get there but it’s so hard when there’s only one club in the North Island that conducts amateur races,” said Wigg.
Wigg, who owns the ‘Meow Meow Motel’ boarding cattery in Waimauku, also works at her partner Tim Vince’s Kumeu stable.
Vince and Wigg are experiencing their best season yet with 16 winners, 18 place-getters and $107,237 won in stakes. That is seven wins and $38,804 more than his previous best season he recorded in 2015-2016..
In February Vince-trained standardbreds had won eight of their last 11 races. His last win came when Romanite and Wigg won at Cambridge Raceway on March 23.
“Romanite is a nice horse but I really like Driver’s Eyre. He’s a real buddy. I’ve won three races on him this season – hopefully four on Thursday,” said Wigg.
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