Driver making the most of limited opportunities

You’re only as good as your last winner and former Kiwi harness racing driver Sean Grayling admits just getting drives at Tabcorp Park Menangle can be a bit of a challenge these days.

Despite limited opportunities, Grayling came to the fore at Menangle on Saturday night when he landed a winning double with Pump The Brakes and Hughie Junior.

Working full-time for the Paul Fitzpatrick stable, Grayling admits that things have become just that little bit more difficult since he lost his junior driver’s claim.

He only has the one pacer in work, Pump The Brakes (Dawn Ofa New Day), which he co-owns with his father and uncle and this experienced seven-year-old has been a great investment for the trio, winning five races and running a stack of placings since they bought him out of a claiming race.

With earnings of more than $160,000, Grayling said he had looked at the possibility of selling Pump The Brakes to race in the US but without a flood of interest, has been happy to keep him racing at Menangle.

Saturday night was his first drive on Hughie Junior (Art Major) for the Fitzpatrick barn and the four-year-old gelding has now won two from three since joining their team.

“You can’t expect to get a lot of drives when Paul has the likes of his sons Gavin and Blake, who are both top drivers, to call on,” says Grayling.

The 25-year-old heads for Menangle today with just one drive for Fitzpatrick, Old English, who will have to overcome a horror draw if the four-year-old is to be competitive in Race 5, the Condell Park Produce Pace.

“There is a fair amount of speed drawn inside us and although my bloke has good gate speed, if I have to use him too much early he normally cannot finish his races off,” said Grayling.

By Michael Court for HRNSW