Seth Hill – rising young star

Nineteen year old Seth Hill is one of the rising stars in this country’s junior driver ranks and with thirty wins on board and an association with very good pacer Arthur Selby, (Bettor’s Delight) there’s bound to be a few more before the season ends.

Seth is the son of Swannanoa horseman Brendon Hill who trained dual New Zealand Cup winner Monkey King and recently trained his 300^th winner.

Although born in the North Island, Seth moved south at a young age. He was educated at St Thomas’s College in Canterbury and admits he wasn’t too interested in the academic side.

“I played a bit of rugby, touch and basketball. I didn’t really grow, so I stopped playing rugby because I got smashed round a bit. I worked for Dad during the school holidays and while I was at school and for a year once I left school. I loved the horses so much, I just couldn’t get away from it. I just wanted to do it,” Seth said.

He then worked for Tom Bagrie for just under two years.

“Tom was a massive help, and we had a pretty good run.”

Bagrie has provided Seth with twelve of his winners, and his father has trained eleven.

“It’s good winning for Dad especially when he owns them and trains them.”

Seth now works for Woodend Beach trainer Bob Butt where most of the horses spend their workday on the beach.

“It’s pretty cool. You can’t go wrong on a nice sunny morning.”

Seth’s first winner was Falcon’s Watch (He’s Watching) at Cromwell in January 2024.

“It was a special day. I didn’t really know what I was doing (laughter) but I got the job done.”

The first nice horse Seth drove at home was Renegade (Captaintreacherous) trained by his father.

“I was earning my trials licence and I drove him at the trials. We didn’t know he was that good and thought he was just a nice horse. He just came out and kept running past everything. He was the nicest horse that I drove off the property in the early days.”

In that qualifying trial Hill settled Renegade at the back of the field, came wide on the bend and ran past five rivals to win by a nose from Madrid.

Renegade has gone on to win seven of his twenty four starts.

Although he hasn’t driven Renegade on a raceday his father has entrusted him to drive rising stable star Arthur Shelby.

The four year old has won five of his seven starts with Seth in the cart for all his wins.

“I am pretty luck thanks to Dad and Tony (part-owner Tony Hickman). Obviously he’s a nice horse and it’s those sorts of horses as a young fella that help you out and make a name for yourself.”

Although most of Arthur Shelby’s wins have been from racing handy, Seth thinks he may be better coming with a late run.

“I think it’s coming off a helmet. He hasn’t done a hell of lot of that but I think he will when he gets in those real good races and they go hard. That’ll be his go.”

Arthur Shelby’s targets for the second half of the season are the $50,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Sales Series Handicap Pace at Kaikoura, the $60,000 Group Two Entain Junior FFA on Cup Day at Addington and the $125,000 Group One Christian Cullen on November 21^st.

“Winning one of those three targets would be awesome. He’s going to make open class and hopefully he’ll be right up there with the good ones.”

When Hill won the Revell Douglas Series held for junior drivers, part of his prize was a two week working holiday in Australia.

“I did two weeks with Pete (McMullen) and Chantel (Turpin). They’re great people and I had a couple of drives. I drove at Redcliffe and Albion Park. They don’t really back it off like we do. They just keep going and you’re either good enough or you’re not. I love their style of racing, I think it’s cool and I still watch it now. I got to know Tom Callaghan real well over there and I watch him drive and keep in touch with him.”

Seth says he’s probably modelled himself on legendary driver Ricky May.

“I’ve grown up around Ricky and he’s been a massive help. Johnny (Dunn) and Blair (Orange) always talk to you and you watch them and see how good they are. They’re the main three and you can’t go wrong there.”

Hill some he’s got a lot of time for One Eyed Bandit (Always B Miki) which is trained by Butt. Like the name suggest he’s one of the few racehorses racing with one eye.

“He gives you a nice feel and the one I drive the most down there. You’ve got to be careful when you work with him but he’s a cool horse.”

Seth enjoys travelling south to drive.

“It’s a matter of getting enough drives to make it worthwhile. The plane isn’t very cheap (laughter) and it’s a long way to drive.”

Winning the New Zealand Junior Drivers Championship is on his to do list.

“All the ones ahead of me (on the premiership table) are on the way out I guess, in the next year or two and then there’s the junior champs which you look forward to and try to do your best at.”

Another goal is to represent New Zealand in the Australasian Young Drivers Championship.

“It’d be a massive goal and would be pretty cool.”

He believes one of the keys to doing well on the racetrack is to do your homework.

“The good thing about it is that I’m out there and get to know the horses. I try and watch every race. I watch the trials and do a bit the day before races. It might be watching a replay of your horse or one you might not know too well just to freshen your mind.”

Although the Junior Driver Premiership is competitive on the track, Hill says off the track everyone is good mates.

“I know all the South Island ones and Harry (Harrison Orange) up north and I’m good mates with him. They’re all very good young drivers and good people.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink