Emily doubles up in quick time

It took bubbly West Australian harness racing driver Emily Johnson five drives to land her first winner-but just one more to double her score!

Eighteen-year-old Johnson landed her winners on consecutive Saturday night meetings at Albany.

“It’s about a four-hour drive from Capel where I live and you get home pretty late, but having success makes up for it,” Johnson said.

The former New Zealand teenager led all-the-way on Cordoring Road (Art Official-Quiet Style (Panorama) to land her maiden winner on January 8. She then drove an identical race last Saturday to get the money with Gods Plan (Mach Three-As It Is In Heaven (Village Jasper).

“We jumped to the front in a standing start race to get my first winner. It was such a good feeling because going down the back I was fairly confident. The horse was bowling along, and we ended up winning by nine metres,” she said.

“I didn’t celebrate that night, but a few of us went out for lunch the next day which was nice. My second win was much the same, although Gods Plan was the race favorite.

“When I spoke with dad back home in Hamilton (NZ) he was excited of course, along with mum and my other siblings. Dad did comment that my stats were looking real good!”

Both horses are trained by Johnson’s boss, trainer Aiden De Campo.

“The win on Cordoring Road was a bit special though because I also own the horse,” she said.

“I drove him in most of my trials to get my licence. He’s now a nine-year-old, but I only paid $1000 for him so he’s pretty much repaid us.”

After getting the green light to drive at the races, Johnson finished second at her very first drive with Cordoring Road at a midweek meeting at Perth’s Gloucester Park on December 20, picking up $1350.

Johnson was just 17 when she made the decision to relocate her life to Australia, following her brother Mark to WA. While she misses home, she said driving and working in West Australia made it all worthwhile.

“I’ve got two sisters and three brothers. A few of them did the Kids Karts (the equivalent of Pony Trots in Australia), but only Mark and I continued on,” she said.

“I worked with Mark for nine months when I shifted over-the both of us being at Aiden’s stables. Mark has now shifted back home to concentrate on being a driver.

“I copped a bit of stirring at the stables after I drove my first winner because apparently it took Mark ages to get his second win!”

Johnson said doing the Kids Karts had taught her a lot.

“I did seem to finish second a lot of the time, but I really liked it. It teaches you a lot – the basics like holding the reins correctly and gearing up the horses,” she said.

“After that I used to go and work for Arna Donnelly at Cambridge. I was down with her every weekend and on school holidays. I got my stable licence and progressed from there. Arna does pretty well with her team.

“I was really passionate about the sport and then when I started doing some trackwork, I just loved driving the horses so much.

“There’s heaps of racing in WA and the job offer was too good to refuse. Aiden is a very good horseman. He has 30 horses in work and you don’t stop learning.

“I’ll have a junior concession licence for a few years so hopefully I can keep getting some winners.”

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink