By Duane Ranger
Sheryl Wigg has come a long way since nailing her first amateur driving win at Cambridge Raceway 14 months ago.
The 44-year-old Auckland horsewoman returns to the same track on Friday night to take on the country’s best in the New Zealand Amateur Driving Championships.
Harness Racing Waikato will host two heats (races one and three) on Friday, while the Championships will be wrapped up with a further two heats at Ashburton Raceway on Sunday June 5.
The Waimauku cat motelier, who is the partner of NZ Championship rival, Tim Vince, said she was experiencing her most successful season yet and was delighted to be competing in her first NZ Champs.
“It’s a bit of an honour. I was rapt to qualify. It will be a great time, but anyone who knows me knows that I will be competing for one purpose – and that’s to win the New Zealand title.
“Second will not be good enough,” Wigg said.
Wigg will steer the Jay Abernethy-trained 12-year-old gelding, Our Southern Man (8) and the Wendy Ferguson trained 7-year-old mare, Chequeme Rosie (6). Both races are $6,000 events over the 2200m and 2700m mobiles respectively.
“I’ve got two nice drives, but I think Our Southern Man in the first heat is my best chance,” Wigg said.
Our Southern Man was a certainty beaten when breaking on this track when a win looked likely on May 5. Half of his 16 wins have been at Cambridge Raceway, including seven over the distance.
“He has good gate speed and I will be looking to use his acceleration. Jay’s horses usually race near the front and I think I can get there from eight.
“It all depends how the race pans out early but he’s a nice amateur horse. I was surprised by his mistake last time. I’ve never seen him do that before. I like his speed,” Wigg said.
Meanwhile, Chequeme Rosie boats the quickest winning mile rate (2:01.3) in her race by some 1.3 seconds. She was a nice winner in lesser class at Manawatu last week, but is yet to record a win on the track or over the distance.
“She has a slightly better draw and the Fergusons have her in good condition if her last start win is anything to go by. I am looking forward to driving the mare. I will be wanting as many points as I can get heading into Ashburton,” said Wigg.
Wigg has driven three winners this season and five all-up. Her first win came behind the Vince trained With A Vengeance on March 15 last year.
Then 10 months later, the former jockey (who rode two winners) and her sister Cheree created a world first when they became the first twins to quinella an amateur driving event.
They created history on the Waipa Grass at Te Awamutu behind the Vince trained Celtic Warrior (Sheryl) and the Frank Phelan trained Speak Up (Cheree).
Like Sheryl, Cheree won on her tote first drive that day.
But Wigg knows if she’s going to win any New Zealand title then she’s going to have to get past current New Zealand champion and former World champion Gavin Cook.
Cook has two nice drives – the best of them, the Graeme Rogerson trained On The Razzle, who is likely to start one of the favourites, despite drawing 11 (three on the second row) in the first heat.
The 8-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight drops back in class, and loves the distance with nine of his 15 wins having come from behind the 2200m mobile.
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