Selwyn Times: August 11, 2021

Selwyn Times Wednesday August 11 2021
24
SPORT
JO HERBERT made a return
to the driving ranks last season
after nearly a decade away from
the track and on Sunday at
Addington Raceway she was able
to fulfill her biggest ambition on
her return – 200 driving wins.
It was fitting that the milestone
was brought up behind Taumata
VC in the Woodlands Stud
Supports Canty Breeders Mobile
Pace as the four-year-old mare
was the primary reason for
Herbert’s return to driving.
“It is pretty special to win it on
that horse,” Herbert said.
“My uncle (Doug Herbert) bred
her and he is the reason why I
made the comeback because he
wanted me to drive her when she
raced.
“It has been a long process with
her, but it just made it a bit more
special today.”
Herbert was also pleased to
get the win in the colours of her
Ladbrooks employers, Colin and
Julie De Filippi.
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 more than a decade ago to
look after her son Brooklyn.
“At the time it was in the too
hard basket, he wasn’t that well,”
Herbert said.
“It got too hard, so I just
focused on him.”
Herbert wasn’t aware that she
was so close to 200 wins when she
walked away from the sport, and
it became one of her major goals
upon her return.
“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
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Herbert’s 200 wins comes after long absence
• By Joshua Smith
A TOTAL of 76 trainers and
drivers achieved personal bests
in the 2020-21 season.
A search of Harness Racing
New Zealand records for the
season show that 25 drivers had
their most wins in a season, as
did 51 trainers.
As well as having their
best seasons Ben Hope (40)
had his first Group One victory
with Muscle Mountain in the
Fred Shaw Memorial New
Zealand Trotting Championship,
as did Benjamin Butcher (44)
with Enjoy Me in the Sires’
Stakes 3YO Filllies Final, and
then B D Joe at the Harness
Jewels.
Second to Blair Orange (179) in
the premiership, John Dunn had
his best season in the sulky with
Jo Herbert
(give up driving) because of my
son. If I had known back then
that I was that close I wouldn’t
141 wins, including nine with
Five Wise Men and seven with
Sundees Son.
Tim Williams (93), Sam Ottley
(82) and Robbie Close (65) also
had their best seasons as did the
country’s stand-out junior driver
Sarah O’Reilly (57).
Of the trainers Robert
Dunn was a runaway leader
of the premiership, winning it
have given it up quite so soon.”
But a decade on she has fulfilled
her ambition of reaching 200
wins.
“It’s been a long time coming,
but I am glad to have got there,”
she said.
Herbert has been fortunate to
drive some quality horses over
the years and she said it is hard to
single out any one in particular,
but highlighted the Paul Kerrtrained
Chloe Hanover as one of
her favourites.
“I have driven some nice horses
and every win has been special,”
she said.
“But winning 11 races on
Chloe Hanover was pretty
special.”
Herbert said the thrill of
driving in several New Zealand
Cups has also been a highlight.
“I have driven in the New
Zealand Cup three times, my
for the second season in a row.
He had a career high
124 training successes,
eclipsing his previous best haul
of 121 in 2016.
Among the others to have
had their best ever seasons were
Arna Donnelly with 37, beating
the 33 she had in 2019. Among
Amber Hoffman’s best return of
23 wins was taking out the very
closest was fourth, but it is still
pretty special to drive in that
race,” she said.
While she is driving less
frequently these days, that is
exactly how Herbert wants it,
citing she has done her time
travelling to drive at various
meetings.
“I am actually quite happy,” she
said.
“A lot of the time I don’t like
travelling, I have done all of that.
If it is handy I will go, but I don’t
really go out of my way to get
drives.’’
Herbert wasn’t the only person
to reach a milestone on Sunday,
with Oamaru horseman Brad
Williamson securing his 50th
training win courtesy of Shards
Fury in the Alabar ‘World Class
Series’ Regional Series Mobile
Pace.
– Harness News Desk
Personal bests for trainers and drivers in 2020/21
last race at Forbury Park with
Dodgethebullet.
Woodend Beach trainers
Regan Todd (43), Matt
Purvis (28) and Bob Butt
(19) also had their best seasons,
as did the Southland-based
Nathan Williamson (48), Alister
Black (19) and Craig Ferguson
(15).
– Harness Racing Desk
AMPED UP.
THE ALL-NEW VOLVO XC40 PHEV RECHARGE.
The first of Volvo compact plug-in hybrid SUVs is here at Archibalds – and now’s the time to discover this stunning planet-friendly vehicle. Take it for a test drive and experience a
powerful electric motor and petrol engine combination, plus a host of exquisite Scandinavian design features.
Contact Archibalds and secure your test drive today.
38 Tuam St,
Christchurch
Thomas Palmer - 03 377 5200 - tpalmer@archibalds.co.nz
archibalds.co.nz
*Plus on-road costs. Model shown is XC40 PHEV Recharge.
For further information visit archibalds.co.nz/VolvoXC40Phev