77-year-old driver knows what it takes to win

Brian Gath says Victoria’s enjoying a golden age of racing with “terrific” drivers and world-class horses.

Fresh from yet another metropolitan level win on Saturday night and on the eve of his 77^th birthday, the man affectionately known as The Little Master praised today’s young reinswomen and men during an interview on RSN 927’s Gait Speed.

Speaking in the wake of his win with Leigh Graham-trained Nephew Of Sonoko in Saturday night’s middle-distance trot, Gath told host Gareth Hall “every now and then I get quite a nice drive so I take it up and do my best”. Watch the replay here.

“I’ve been driving for a long time, because I’m driving all the time I haven’t changed,” he said. “I know my way around now.

“I do enjoy it, but there are some terrific young drivers coming on. We’ve got some terrific talent.

“They all adapt to the racing of the American carts, of the speeds we run and the speed maps and everything. They do the form good and they are young and go everywhere.

“I’ve seen them all and what we’ve got at the moment is as good as you will see in any decade.”

It’s high praise that Gath extended to the horses and, in particular, the current breed of trotters.

“They’ve got so good now, they can run 1:54 pretty regularly and the young two-year-old trotters every year they get a little bit better,” he said.

“We’ve really caught up to the other side of the world. I didn’t think our trotters would go as fast as they’re going, although the odd one – Maori’s Idol, if he was racing now he’d still be the best – but he’s only one in a million.”

Nephew Of Sonoko did plenty of bullocking work on Saturday night to register his 12^th career win for the Graham family, which bred, own and train the five-year-old Danny Bouchea gelding.

“I like him,” Gath said. “He’s not up to the top bracket yet, but he’s showing signs that he’s going to get there.”

HEAR MORE FROM BRIAN GATH IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF GAIT SPEED:

By Harness Racing Victoria