The nation’s harness racing spotlight will be fixed firmly on Tasmania on Saturday night as the leading drivers in the land descend on Hobart for the Yabby Dam Racing Australian Drivers Championship.

Two drivers from each state will contest the series with points allocated across the six nominated races.

The host state will rely on the famous Rattray brothers, Gareth and Todd, to fly the flag for Tasmania and repel the mainland invasion that includes Victorian stars Greg Sugars and Chris Alford along with Queenslanders Shane Graham and Mathew Neilson.

Leading female drivers have taken a foothold in the sport with Ellen Rixon selected to represent New South Wales and Danielle Hill suiting up for South Australia.

Leading the West Australian assault is the legendary Chris Lewis, one of the star attractions of the championship.

Lewis seemed destined for fame in the racing game from birth, born in North Adelaide on the horse’s birthday August 1, 1955.

Chris drove his first winner at Kapunda as a 16-year-old in January 1972. A month later he steered home his first city winner at Globe Derby behind Carclew in the South Australian Guineas.

It was Chris’s first feature race win, and little did the youngster know that four years later Carclew, trained by his father Allen would give him his first Inter-Dominion Championship, defeating the iron horse and people’s hero Pure Steel at Globe Derby.

At 20, Chris became the youngest driver to win Australia and New Zealand’s greatest race and followed up eight years later with The Village Kid at Albion Park.

Chris decided a move to Western Australia would allow him to pursue a professional career in the gig, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Lewis topped the West Australian Drivers Premiership table again last season, making it ten driving premierships, winning a staggering 214 races, 38 clear of his closest rival Ryan Warwick, who will also represent WA in the championship.

 LEGEND: Chris Lewis as won ten West Australian Drivers Premierships and driven more than 50 Group One winners.

Lewis got 2017 off to a flying start, with four winners at Bunbury on New Year’s Eve placing him in an exclusive club with Gavin Lang and Chris Alford, reinsmen who have driven more than 5000 winners in Australia.  

Chris first drove at Gloucester Park in June 1976 when he took part in the inaugural Australian Young Drivers Championship.

He represented Australia in the 2011 World Drivers Championship in the USA and has also driven winners in Moscow.

Chris has driven over 50 Group One winners in his career including the Australian Pacing Championship, WA Pacing Cup, Fremantle Cup, WA Derby & Oaks, and WA Golden Slipper Stakes.

The West Australian Racing Industry inducted Chris into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

By Shane Yates

Reprinted with permission of The Advocate