Haylee has racing in her blood and a win on the board

Energetic New South Wales reinswoman Haylee Day has an impressive equine industry CV – and she’s just ticked off a major harness racing achievement.

Based at Goulburn, in the NSW Southern Tablelands, Day landed her first driving winner last Friday (Mar 21) when successful with Guilty Party (Village Jolt) in the $9762 Dachshund Dash 19^th April at the Riverina Paceway, Wagga Wagga.

“It was my 22nd drive and I only just got there, but I thought coming up the home straight I had it in the bag,” an elated Day said.

Guilty Party is trained by her cousin Scott Hewitt – who went down officially by a head driving another of his own horses in My Crackling Rosie.

“I raced in the death-seat outside of Scott, but Guilty Party is an in-form horse at the moment. A soft second quarter certainly helped me and to get the win was unreal,” Day said.

“I can’t describe it – a bit of a surreal feeling!”

The 31-year-old Day is a third-generation participant in the sport, following in the footsteps of her late grandfather Frank and her father Neil, a well-known and astute conditioner of horses.

Her older sister Amy is training a big team with partner Matt Craven, in Victoria near Terang, while younger brother Justin is a farrier.

Since leaving school as a 17-year-old, Day has always been involved with horses – possibly not surprising with Neil one of 10 children, most of whom have found their way into the sport.

“At the moment I’m riding gallops trackwork at the Goulburn racetrack for Danielle Seib. Each morning I’m doing either five or six horses and it’s an early start of around five to 5.30am. In the winter we get going about an hour later,” she said.

“Then at nine o’clock I’m at dad’s stables to help him with his team. He’s doing 20 horses at the moment, including three breakers.

“I enjoy breaking in the yearlings. From mouthing to teaching them what’s expected is great. Dad used to always break them to saddle, but as I’ve got keen to do that, he’s taken a backseat.

“I think seeing the horses progress brings so much satisfaction.”

Day, who admits to loving a new challenge, was recently granted a gallops trainer’s licence.

“I now enjoy both codes of horse racing, but had you asked me two years ago, I would have said my preference was certainly the thoroughbreds,” she said.

Day spent a stint of over two years working with the late Group One winning gallops trainer Guy Walter at Warwick Farm.

“I really got the bug and did jump outs. I did a dozen official trials with the idea of being a jockey. But I gave that idea up when my body was breaking down while I was trying to stay near the weight.

“I also spent eight years at Randwick with the Snowden team and worked with Kerry Parker. I have been fortunate to work with some great teams and I have great memories of travelling around the big carnivals looking after horses at Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.”

Day said her focus at the moment was to use her harness racing concession claim and keep getting winners.

“Of course, one day I’d also love to have a couple of gallopers in training,” she laughed.

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink