Carter drives first North American winner

New Zealand harness racing’s leading junior driver Carter Dalgety had his first North American driving stint at Harrah’s Philadelphia this afternoon (July 16) and was on the board with a winner with just his second steer.

The former Harnesslink scribe took the reins behind the Brett Pelling juvenile filly, Asphalt (Papi Rob Hanover), who was making her first public appearance in the second qualifying heat on the 13-race programme.

The daughter of the boom first season sire, Papi Rob Hanover, yields bloodlines as good as Dalgety’s being a half sister to the millionaire’s Niki Hill (Always B Miki) and burgeoning first season sire, Cattlewash (Somebeachsomewhere).

The pair were in the lead early with Dalgety guiding the filly quietly in an opening quarter of 30.3, before electing to take a sit behind the Nifty Norman trained Alwayswithyou (Always B Miki), where he remained until peeling off her back and scoring with a 27.2 last quarter.

Dlagety and Asphalt were a neck in front at the finish with a winning mile rate of 1:57.2.

CARTER DALGETY WINNING QUALIFIER REPLAY

Dalgety would have felt right at home in the five horse heat with the qualifier featuring five ex pat New Zealander’s with Asphalt’s trainer, Brett Pelling, Nifty Norman & father and son duo, Chris and Patrick Ryder all having connections to the shaky isles.

While Dalgety would have been on cloud nine after his first North American driving experience, his homestay, Dexter Dunn showed him whose boss with five winning drives on the programme.

Dalgety got his moneys worth with seven drives on the card, and was twice second with one of those placings coming aboard the Ron Burke trained four year old trotter, Warrawee Yang (Trixton).

For the full qualifying results from Harrah’s Philadelphia, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink