The Collie King is reigning supreme on the Country Circuit

We’re not sure there’s anything that could stop Trent Wheeler right now, with the ‘Collie King’ backing up after five winners on Sunday to take out race two for harness racing trainer Hayden Reeves at Pinjarra on Monday (Aug. 14).

The pair experienced success together the day prior, but at $71 odds, neither of them would have expected Tempt The Stars (Follow The Stars) to continue the festivities from the weekend.

TEMPT THE STARS REPLAY

The two-year-old by Follow The Stars and out of Natural Temptation is bred and owned by Peter and Phil Hemsley, with Peter Hemsley influential in Wheeler’s career early on when he received the drive on board Pandemic on the 1st of January in 2007. The pair weren’t successful that day, but later went on to win their first race together on the 21st of January that same year, with the success continuing for many years after.

Pandemic landed Wheeler his first metropolitan driving success on the 27th of December 2010, with the horse showing his strength with a win at Bunbury just four days later on New Years Eve. The pair partnered for 16 of his 18 wins all up, including the Albany Pacing Cup in 2010.

“In the early days when I was learning and just getting a few drives, Hammer (Peter Hemsley) bred Pandemic and he was a problem horse early on and spent a lot of time at trials,

“Hammer could have easily put someone else on after all the times he galloped but he stuck with me,

“He has always been a supporter.”

Wheeler, who made his debut on the 4th of August in 2001, back when drivers earned just $20 per race, didn’t get his first win until the following year on November 29, 2002, when he drove Mystical Mover to victory for trainer George Sheret at Narrogin.

“Early on I was hopeless, but was always willing to learn and talk to people.”

Since then, he has driven in a total of 5697 races for 467 winners and 1241 placings, with this year undeniably his best one yet. Last year he set himself a goal to drive 50 winners in the season, with his total driving wins reaching 77 last season, this year with four and a half months remaining, he currently sits on 55 wins.

Wheelers biggest wins to date was the Gr1 Westbred 3YO Fillies Classic who he took out on board Once Bitten for his father, Brian, giving Trent his first group feature in 2015 at $13 odds. In 2022 he claimed the Gr1 4YO Classic on Pinny Tiger for trainer Michael Brennan, again at double figure odds.

Trent is currently 33 wins shy off his milestone 500.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ashleigh Paikos, for RWWA