Drivers announced for 2021 Youngbloods Challenge

Tasracing is proud to announce the harness racing drivers for the 2021 6ty° Youngbloods Challenge.

The six-race series will be held on the first weekend of December, with three heats on the 3rd, and the final three heats in Hobart on the 5th.

Tasmania’s premier young drivers’ series is restricted to drivers under the age of 23 on 1 January, with selection given to the top five drivers that meet the age limit on last season’s premiership, with the following five spots filled by those on the current season premiership.

In alphabetical order, this year’s drivers are;

• Ryan Backhouse, 16 – He only had his first race drive in Hobart in late October and drove his first winner at his third race drive in Devonport on 29 October aboard Jackson Neptune.
• Jordan Chibnall, 19 – Former Victorian who relocated to Tasmania to join the Ben Yole stable. She currently leads this season’s junior driver title with 31 wins, seeing her ninth on the overall drivers’ title.
• Lachlan Dakin, 22 – Finished fourth in last season’s junior driver premiership and has had a few months away from the sulky while undertaking university studies. He will return to the sulky for the Youngbloods Challenge.
• Mitch Ford, 18 – Is following a strong family tradition in the state and is the latest Ford member to compete in a Youngbloods Challenge. He had his first drive earlier this season and has already recorded eight wins.
• Andrew Freeman, 23 – Will be competing in the Youngbloods Challenge once again and he had success in the series last year, winning a heat aboard The Shallows, who went on to win the Tasmania Cup earlier this season.
• Malcom Jones, 17 – Has been a regular on Tasmanian harness racing tracks this season and has found the winners stall on numerous occasions, including two wins on handy four-year-old Kosimo.
• Bronte Miller, 17 – Is currently in second position on the states junior drivers’ title and is 10th on the overall state tally with 21 wins to her credit, in her first full season of driving.
• Liam Older, 17 – Wanted to be a jockey but as he was too tall, he decided to give harness racing a go. The teenager drove his first winner in Hobart on Believe In Forever in mid-September.
• Harrison Ross, 17 – Has recently joined the driving ranks and has only had a small number of drives. He moved to the state from New South Wales to further his career in the industry with trainer Ben Yole.
• Kayleb Williams, 18 – Drove his first winner at his first race drive in King Island in late December. He has since made the move to mainland Tasmania, where he has worked with several leading stables.

The emergency for the series is Jacob Duggan, who is yet to have a race drive after only turning 16 on the weekend but has shown talent at the trials over the past 12 months.

As has been the case since 2001, 6ty° (formerly Bullock Consulting) will be the series sponsor.

Drivers will be allocated drives per the rotated barrier draw system, as listed in Tasracing’s Driver Series Policy, with the series winner being determined by points across the six heats.

Previous 6ty° Youngbloods Challenge winners include; 2020 Sam Clotworthy, 2019 Taylor Ford, 2018 (Nov) Conor Crook, 2018 (June) Brady Woods and 2017 Jack Laugher.

By Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing