First winner for truck driving trainer

Truck driver come harness racing trainer Rob Brown’s personal milestone almost went unnoticed in a memorable half hour to round off the Maryborough meeting earlier this week. 

The 40-year-old Brown landed his first winner as a trainer when his pacer Hurrikane Dusty (Hurrikane Kingcole) finally prevailed in the AB Paint Concession Drivers Pace. 

Young reinswoman Hannah Parish was the centre of attention after steering Miki To Success to victory at her first race drive in the previous race. 

Hurrikane Dusty showed plenty of gate speed to comfortably cross to the pegs from his mid-front row alley and Ben Xiriha was able to ‘drop anchor’ in a 31.7 first quarter before increasing the tempo during the middle stages. 

Hurrikane Dusty ($6) had his rivals chasing off the bit on the home turn and the five-year-old managed to hold on and get the verdict by a half a neck from the $5.50 favorite The Regulator. 

“To be honest I thought the race was a bit tough for him,” Brown said. 

Hurrikane Dusty had previously finished runner up on three occasions under Brown’s care. 

“He normally finds one better and gets grabbed just before the line but he does go well for Ben,” he said. 

While the win was Brown’s first training winner it wasn’t his initial success in the sport as he drove Young Aladdin to victory at Mildura as a 17-year-old in 2000. 

“I don’t come from a harness racing family but we moved to Mildura when I was a kid and I became friends with people in the sport and ended up getting my driver’s licence as a 16-year-old,” he said. 

Following a ‘couple of hundred’ drives, Brown took a sabbatical from the sport until renewing his involvement two years ago. 

“I’m a full time truck driver and when the kids came along I put harness racing on hold,” he said. 

“Around six years ago we moved to a property at Elphinstone and I put in a jog track.” 

Brown’s pathway back into the sport came when he outlaid $700 for the mare Art For Art Sake, the dam of Hurrikane Dusty. 

“I bought the mare off Robert Talent and got the service to Hurrikane Kingcole, who stood in Queensland for two seasons and then died, through a stallion tender run by the Dubbo club,” he said. 

“I’ve always enjoyed the sport and now I have a bit more time to have another go at it.” 

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink