Two-State border hopping brings success

Much travelled young South Australian driver Corey Johnson has made a number of successful border hopping hit-and-run harness racing missions of late.

“I guess I’m prepared to travel almost anywhere to drive at meetings at the moment—I’m just loving it and two recent trips took me to racetracks I’d never been before,” Johnson, of Penfield Gardens, said.

The 20-year-old drove to the famous NSW mining town of Broken Hill and competed at the annual Cup meeting on March 10. Then last Sunday (Mar. 26) he went over the border to Ouyen in Victoria’s Mallee wheat-growing district.

And Johnson certainly made the most of both opportunities, landing a winning double at Broken Hill and then tasting success at Ouyen for a long-time family friend.

There’s an old saying that success breeds success—and right on cue the enthusiastic youngster posted an all-the-way win in his “hometown” Gawler Pacing Cup two days later on Tuesday (Mar 28).

“I’ll certainly be happy if this little run of good luck keeps going for a while yet,” Johnson laughed.

He said his trip to compete at the tight Broken Hill circuit was a first – he’d never even visited the Silver City before.

“I absolutely loved it. I went for a walk around the track beforehand, which I always do when I haven’t been there before. It’s small at 602m around and there’s a big advantage if you can find the front,” he said.

“The people up there are great and really get behind the sport. Dad (Lane) used to compete at many tracks back when he was driving. He’d never been to Broken Hill, but he loved going to Kadina which was pretty small.”

Johnson had success with Moreartsthanclass (Modern Art) and then Beaudienesgold (The Gold Ace)—pinging to ahead of affairs on both occasions.

At Ouyen, he was booked by Robinvale trainer Noel Walsh to handle four-year-old mare Ronzel Micky (Sportswriter) in the $7000 Shaddocks Freight Pace.

“Although I’d been through Ouyen on my way to Swan Hill trots, it was the first time I’d driven at the track,” Johnson said.

“It was great being asked by Noel because he’s been a friend of our family for many years. Noel and dad worked together at Bob and Daphne Sweet’s when they trained out of stables opposite the old Gawler track,” he said.

“I reckon Ronzel Micky has a bright future – she felt like a nice horse.”

Johnson said it was a big thrill to win the Gawler Pacing Cup with Clarenden Envoy, trained by Claire Goble.

“I’ve been helping her out for about two years, and she does a terrific job. I get most of her stable drives, so she looks after me pretty well.

“The Gawler Cup is one of those races you think about and would love to win because it’s the closest club to us. I’ve had a few goes, but luck has never been with me.

“But when I jumped Clarenden Envoy to the front and slowed up the first half, I thought I was in with a big show this time. I sped things up later but didn’t kick because I knew Hesashark was on my back and up on the bit.”

Clarenden Envoy, a 10/1 chance, won by over three metres from race favorite Culture King, with a short margin back to Hesashark, who stewards noted was held up late.

“He’s a nice horse to drive and has a lot of high speed. He really is the sort of horse that is never not around the mark,” Johnson said.

“Sometimes his form might not look great numerically, but at times that could be pilot error on my behalf,” he joked.

Other long road trips have seen Johnson venture as far away as Mount Gambier—a six-and-a-half-hour journey.

“I’d never landed a winner there until recently. I was a bit lucky by getting a treble which included the trotters cup with Barhoon (Yankee Spider), trained by dad,” he said.

That was the fifth treble posted by the promising driver, who after starting in the late part of the 2018/19 season, has now driven more than 155 winners with a standout 2022 season with 74 victories.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink