Bernie Hewitt captured a Bathurst Gold Crown win with College Chapple back in 2018 and last Friday night the astute harness racing horseman added both the Gold Tiara and Chalice trophies to his mounting list of feature race wins.
Hewitt and his wife Cath made a life changing move to Bathurst more than two decades ago and have not looked back.
Hewitt is Crookwell-born and bred and had a fabulous grounding in the Southern Highlands alongside his father Tom, who will be remembered as one of the best horsemen of his era.
āWe had a wonderful life down in Crookwell where we mixed farming and shearing with training horses,ā said Bernie.
āIt was hard work, but my siblings and I learned so much about life through how we were raised.ā
Team Hewitt headed to the Bathurst Paceway last Friday quietly confident that they were in for a good night, but nothing could have prepared them for what unfolded, two Group 1 wins and a further feature win on a night that they will never forget.
āHard work does pay off,ā an emotional Cath Hewitt said after she collected the trophies from Jungle Babyās win in the Lombo La Fe Fe.
Cath plays an integral part in the Hewitt operation, ensuring everything is prepared at home for the familyās busy schedule.
The Hewittās son Doug captured his first Group 1 win when he drove Ripp to an emphatic victory in the Gold Chalice.
The gelding, who overcame a serious injury as a two-year-old, exploded away from his rivals to win by 16m and it appears that the son of Somebeachsomewhere could scale even greater heights in the months ahead.
It was then Bernieās turn to grab more Group 1 glory when he drove a confident race aboard Jewel Melody, scoring a narrow but impressive win in the Gold Tiara.
For owners Wayne and Julie Loader, it was a case of patience paying off as they proudly collected their trophies.
The Loaders have put so much faith in the Hewitt operation, buying quality stock over the past few years – and they are now reaping the rewards.