Rixon hitting top form

He probably has little chance of running down Cameron Hart in the New South Wales harness racing drivers’ premiership.

Yet ‘young gun’ reinsman Will Rixon has been clocking up the kilometres as he closes in on 100 winners for the season.

Rixon finds himself in demand at Tabcorp Park Menangle this afternoon with five drives – for five different trainers.

Rixon trails Hart by about 30 winners in the state premiership but has been in the best form of his life and will be aboard at least two favourites on the eight-race program.

The best of those looks to be improving three-year-old gelding Montalbano (Huntsville) for the Rickie Alchin stable in Race 8.

An easy winner at Bankstown last week, Montalbano has shown impressive gate speed at most of his 20 starts, resulting in six wins.

Drawn nicely in barrier two this afternoon, Montalbano has been installed a $3 early favourite to add to that record today.

Consistent trainer David Waite has also called on Rixon’s services to use his skills from a standing start and get the best out of former Victorian gelding Surprise To Me in Race 1 at Menangle.

Surprise To Me is having just his sixth start for the Waite stable but two of his five wins have been from a standing start when previously prepared by trainers Ricky Ryan and Bec Wardlaw south of the border.

Now co-owned by former Club Menangle chairman Rex Horne with another trainer Leon Jurd, Surprise To Me is one of three runners that pair have in Race 1, alongside Melpark Magic (Cameron Hart) and Kapai (David Morris).

Jurd will also use Rixon aboard Flash Kyvalley ($10) in Race 2, where he has four runners, with all four also co-owned by Horne.

David Thorn has booked Rixon to partner popular elect Get Up Betty in Race 5 while Tiarn Sutton has him driving Gimme A Reason in Race 7.

Rixon has been having a great association with his father Peter’s pacer Im Presi Belle, who won six in a row before a close third to B K Swy at Menangle on Saturday night.

“I might be a bit biased but not many trainers can win six in a row with any horse,” said Rixon.

“Dad has picked out the right races for her.

“He took her to Melton and she won again, so she’s had a pretty exciting run.”

For complete race entries, click here.

by Michael Court for HRNSW