Ashwood cracks 500 and now has another goal

As Alex Ashwood ticks off a major career milestone in the sulky, he already has plans to give up driving and focus on life as a full-time harness racing trainer.

The Hobart-born reinsman chalked up victory number 500 in the cart aboard Rocknroll Rhylee at Mildura this afternoon, and will kick-start his own training journey when he takes Still Hungover to Tabcorp Park Melton tomorrow.

The 27-year-old has long been known as a major part of the Kate Hargreaves training operation in Shelbourne, but this horse will be the first starter in Ashwood’s name when she competes in the Allied Express Blossom Lady.

Ashwood said he will train a few of his own horses at the property he and Hargreaves moved to a few years ago, with plans to eventually find his own facility in the future.

“It was a little goal that I always wanted to get my trainer’s licence and it’s finally happened, so I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

“Long term, eventually, I’ll just probably go full-time training and probably step away from driving. It’s a young kids’ sport and the lighter you are, the (better) the results are going to be, so I’ll be just happy to leave it up to the kids.”

Ashwood, who won the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series 2YO Trotters Final on December 31 with Dont Care, felt he’d keep plying his trade in the sulky for another 5-10 years, but was happy to eventually give the racetrack responsibility to others.

“I’m still pretty young and I’m still happy to keep on driving, but as time goes on, the older you get, the heavier you get and it’s harder to compete against the young ones,” he said.

“I’m no Chris Alford or Gavin Lang or Greg Sugars, and I’m just happy to leave it up to the young kids when the time comes.”

Still Hungover is an ex-Tasmanian mare formerly trained by Ashwood’s father Rodney, who won 11 of 34 starts with the daughter of Sutter Hanover. She has had three runs here in Victoria in recent times, including a down-the-track finish in the Allied Express Pace behind Santa Casa Beach at Melton last weekend.

“She’s been going better than her form suggests, she’s just drawn awkwardly,” Ashwood said.

“If she didn’t draw an outside barrier – if she had drawn eight or nine – I’d say she’s a great hope of being there right in the finish.

“But being where she’s drawn, it’s very hard to win from seven at Melton and if you’re not on the fence as everyone knows.”

Dan Mielicki will call all the action at Saturday night’s meeting from Melton, where he will be joined in studio by Rob Auber and Tim O’Connor for a big evening of Trots Vision coverage.

By Tim O’Connor for HRV