Dream result for Joe

Five-year-old pacer Saucy Dreams is sure to hold a special place for a long time in the heart of young harness racing driver Joe Druitt.

The consistent bay mare, who has been knocking on the door for the past one and a half months, provided 19-year-old Druitt with his first success as a reinsman.

"We came close to getting a win a few times with three consecutive second placings-and on one of those occasions the margin was only a half head," Druitt, of Wagga Wagga, said.

Saucy Dreams (McArdle USA-Karamea Dreamin (Dream Away USA), bred by Ross Simpson, is raced by Druitt's father David, and made her debut as a two-year-old, back in December 2016.

Her latest win in the R H Blake and Co Pace last Friday night at Wagga was her 10th with 35 placings from 99 starts. David Druitt has won six, while his eldest son Ross recorded one as well. Jordan Seary, of Junee, and Glenn Douglas, of Bendigo have also won on the mare, and now Joe Druitt has added his name to the list

And judging by the way in which they got the money, it won't be their last.

After easing out of the early action, Druitt settled at the rear of the field. He moved three wide with 400metres to go, and swept to the front in the blink of an eye.

"I was feeling pretty confident down the home straight because I was holding them okay. I did take a quick look at one stage and there was nothing coming at us," Druitt said.

Saucy Dreams won by over eight metres from $2.40 fav Rhianna Reigns (Peter McRae) in a sharp rate of 1.57-4, the final two splits in 28.6 and 28.

Druitt has only had a small number of drives since getting his driver's licence earlier this season.

"I was always destined to get involved in the sport because I've been around horses for as long as I can remember. I played cricket up until I was 16, but I guess it's always been on the books to follow dad and my older brothers Ross and Jordan (now in the Navy) into harness racing," he said.

"Whenever I'm needed, I go and help dad out with the horses. Although he's going along okay at the moment with only seven in work."

Druitt is in his fourth year as an apprentice welder with Truck Art of Wagga.

"I'm really enjoying it. We do a heap of repair work on trucks," he said.

And while Druitt said he was pretty excited to land his first-ever race win, he didn't do any celebrating.

"I was going out motorbike riding with a few mates the next morning, so I didn't even bother having a beer at all."

*Hoofnote: And in another first, Alanah Pitt, based at Leeton, prepared her maiden winner as a trainer when Nevaevabend (Blissful Hall-Nevabend Lombo (Troublemaker) narrowly won the Rusty Crackers Pace. The six-year-old was driven by her partner Adam Richardson.

Terry Gange

NewsAlert PR Mildura