Selwyn Times: November 25, 2020

Wednesday November 25 2020 Selwyn Times
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
NEWS 9
Back in the sulky and winner’s circle
• By Joshua Smith
IT’S BEEN more than a decade
since Jo Herbert saluted the
judge, but her winning drive
behind Blue Chip Delight at
Motukarara Raceway on Sunday
showed she hasn’t lost any of her
talent.
Blue Chip Delight made a solid
start to sit midfield before Herbert
asked him to improve threewide
down the back straight
to sit outside leader Eastwood
Isabella.
They hit the lead at the top of
the straight and didn’t relinquish
their advantage, holding out the
fast-finishing The Kaik to win by
a neck, with a further head back
to Bettor Believe It in third.
Herbert was delighted to get
the win after such a long hiatus.
“It felt really good, it’s been a
long time between drinks,” she
said.
“I was pleased with the horse,
he went well.”
A pioneer for female drivers
in New Zealand, Herbert won
193 races in the cart before she
was forced to step away from the
game 10 years ago to look after
her son Brooklyn.
“At the time it was in the toohard
basket, he wasn’t that well,”
Herbert said.
“It got too hard, so I just focused
on him. He is 13 now so he
is quite good at self-managing.”
SUCCESS: Jo Herbert brings Blue Chip Delight back to the birdcage after winning at
Motukarara on Sunday.
Herbert returned to the industry
last year after the urging
of trainer Stephen Boyd and she
landed her ideal job with current
employers Colin and Julie De-
Filippi, for whom she drove Blue
Chip Delight on Sunday, earlier
this year.
“I was initially influenced by
Stephen Boyd in getting me out
there, that definitely helped,”
Herbert said.
“I now work for Colin and
Julie, you couldn’t ask for nicer
people.
“When I was pregnant he
ended up training my trotter. I
kept working him right up until
I was 30 weeks pregnant and
then sent him to Colin. He has
always been like my father in
harness racing.”
When Herbert heard the De-
Filippi’s were looking for another
worker, she said she was quick to
get on the phone, even though
she was on the other side of the
world at the time.
“When I heard he was looking
for someone I was straight on
the phone from Spain. We went
over there for five weeks back in
February,” she said.
“We were quite lucky because
two days after we got home
Barcelona was in lockdown. We
timed perfectly.”
Herbert’s win on Sunday has
brought her just six wins shy of
200 driving career wins, a mark
she would have tried to attain 10
years ago had she known she was
so close.
“At the time when I stopped
I hadn’t actually looked at that
(career win tally),” Herbert said.
“It was more that I had to do it
(give up driving) because of my
son.
“If I had known back then that
I was that close I wouldn’t have
given it up quite so soon.”
Herbert said DeFilippi has
been trying to get her back in the
cart for some time, but she has
been happy working behind the
scenes.
“He has been trying to, but I
have been quite happy just gearing
up, it hasn’t fazed me,” she
said.
But with three horses in the
field of the Country Feasts Pace
(2170m) on Sunday, DeFilippi
was able to twist Herbert’s arm
into taking the drive behind
Blue Chip Delight, and they were
both rewarded.
“It was great to get the win, but
I am just happy to be working
for him,” Herbert said.
– Harness News Desk
West Melton proposed changes
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
is proposing changes around
West Melton to make it safer and
easier to get about whether by foot,
bike or car, and we’d like your help
to make sure we have got it right.
Come along to our drop-in session
to meet the team and view
our draft design.
COMMUNITY DROP-IN SESSION
2pm – 6pm, Thursday 26 November
West Melton School Hall, 743 Weedons Ross Road, West Melton
For more information go to our project page: www.nzta.govt.nz/wmwr
CAN’T MAKE IT?
Share your thoughts online with our easy-to-use interactive map
www.nzta.govt.nz/wmwr-feedback or email west.melton@nzta.govt.nz
Please provide your comments by 5pm on Friday 11 December 2020
West Melton
Improvements