Travel the key to Locke’s harness racing success

Canberra based junior driver Jimmy Locke will make another trip into Sydney tonight (Jul. 3) for three harness racing drives at Penrith.

The 18-year-old is popular with trainers who take advantage of his generous concession claim and it is often that Locke will travel to Tabcorp Park Menangle twice a week as well as Young, Bathurst, Penrith, and Wagga on a regular basis.

Tonight at Penrith, Locke has two drives for his uncle Simon Locke and one for Bathurst trainer Ash Grives.

“It is great getting around and taking the opportunity to drive at so many different tracks for different trainers,” said Locke.

“Working as a farrier, blends in well to enable me to manage my time to help my pop (Steve Lee) with his team of horses and travel to the race meetings.

“Canberra is reasonably central to where I drive and there is also plenty of work for farriers in the immediate region.

“Still being able to claim a five-point concession does attract trainers to put me on their horses.

“It opens the door for me to drive some talented horses not only at Menangle, but right throughout the state.”

Locke has driven 42 winners this season and currently sits sixth on the state’s Concession Drivers Premiership table.

The depth of the pool of junior talent currently driving in New South Wales is unprecedented with Josh Gallagher (99), Will Rixon (98) and Jack Callaghan (63) heading the race for premiership honours.

Locke expects all three pacers that he is driving tonight to acquit themselves well as each have drawn nicely on the front line in their respective races.

Finding it hard to separate the trio in singling out his best winning chance, Locke settled on Electra Girl (race two), explaining that she has been racing well in better graded races than that she is contesting.

“Even though she has finished worse than midfield in her past few runs, her efforts have been strong enough as she has not been beaten all that far,” he said.

“Like on any 800-metre track it is beneficial to be up near the speed, so if she is able to hold a forward position from gate three, she is definitely strong enough to see out the 2125 metre trip.”

Wahaka (race 7) has run second at two of his past Bathurst outings and represents good each-way value.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Michael Dumesny, for HRNSW