Women taking the reins of this Inter Dominion

They are some of harness racing’s finest gems that have won 10,664 races between them.

‘They’ are Kerryn Manning, Amanda Turnbull, Jodi Quinlan and Kate Gath, trailblazers of the female driving ranks in Australia.

‘They’ are all driving in Saturday night’s time-honoured Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Grand Final at Tabcorp Park Melton.

Kerryn Manning received the late call to drive the Emma Stewart-trained Beyond Delight (Bettor’s Delight) in the feature . . . and why not?

The 46-year-old has driven 4142 winners and way back when she reached 3500, she broke the world record for number of career wins for a female reinswoman.

With 38 Group 1 wins to her credit, Manning also set a record when becoming the first driver in Australasia to win 300 races in a season and also the first reinswoman to drive in both hemispheres.

Manning also created history in 2015 when becoming the first reinswoman to win the New Zealand Cup when successful with Arden Rooney.

Then there is fellow Victorian driver Jodi Quinlan.

A winner of 2231 races, Quinlan will partner one of Stewart’s other starters Act Now (Somebeachsomewhere) on Saturday night – a horse she has driven 32 times for 17 wins.

The 48-year-old reached a career high when winning the 2004 Miracle Mile with Sokyola, becoming just the second female driver to win the ultimate sprint test.

Act Now has given Quinlan two of her 18 Group 1 wins.

Then there is 32-year-old Bathurst driver Amanda Turnbull who has already collected 12 Group 1 wins.

Turnbull has won 2342 races and will drive her horse Bundoran (Lincoln Royal) in the $500,000 final.

She is without doubt the most successful female driver to come out of New South Wales and has driven five winners at a meeting 18 times.

Fellow reinswoman Kate Gath has achieved that twice.

The 39-year-old will drive the Stewart-trained Narutac Prince (Art Major) in the Inter Dominion Final.

Gath is one win shy off driving 50 Group 1 wins and boasts 1949 career wins.

She became just the second female driver, following Manning, to win the Victorian Metropolitan Drivers’ Premiership.

There are probably many more feats these leading ladies have achieved and their talents are added to an Inter Dominion that has such a strong female presence.

Trainer Emma Stewart has five starters in the Group 1, equalling the most amount of starters one stable has had in the race.

And out of the 13 horses, including the emergency, female conditioners train 11 of them.

Alongside Stewart, there is also Belinda McCarthy, Turnbull, Julie Douglas, KerryAnn Morris and Jess Tubbs.

Add to the fact that a female trainer trained all pacing heat winners this series too.

Will the 2022 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Grand Final be one for the girls?

Only time will tell this Saturday night.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Amanda Rando, for Harnesslink