Nathan joins elite company

Nathan Dawson became only the second person in Australasian harness racing history to drive 400 winners in a season when he partnered the Donny Smith trained Mach Daddy (Mach Three) to victory at Redcliffe.

The gifted 27-year-old easily surpassed his previous best of 255 wins in the 2019/20 season.

Dawson joins champion Victorian Chris Alford as the only reinsmen to chalk up 400 winners in a season with the latter establishing a record 456 wins in the 2017/18 season.

“It’s certainly good to be up there in the company of someone like Chris,” Dawson said.

Dawson accredits the backing of trainers and his ability to stay out of the stewards’ room for his breakout season.

“This season I’ve had really good support from a lot of trainers and also I’ve managed to keep out of trouble with no suspensions,” he said.

“Also I’ve taken as many drives as I can, often driving every day of every week.”

Dawson has been in high demand this season with more than 2000 driving engagements to date.

“It hasn’t been often that I’ve had less than five drives at a meeting,” he said.

“And the quality of the horses I’ve been driving has been better.”

Dawson believes he is driving in career best form.

“I think I’ve been driving smarter as I’ve got older with maturity and more experience,” he said.

Dawson concedes he was bred to end up in a sulky.

“My brother Mitchell trains and my cousins Trent and Kelli are both drivers and all the McMullens are cousins,” he said.

“So you could say I was born into it – the only other thing I’ve done is one day’s work experience doing woodwork, but that wasn’t for me.”

Dawson cites the highlight of his outstanding season as the Victorian Trotters Derby victory aboard Not As Promised.

“It was good because he wasn’t expected to win the Derby in Victoria and then he went super in New Zealand Trotting Derby where nothing went right for him,” he said.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink