First win with flying colors for teenage reinsman

Seventeen-year-old reinsman Matthew Atkinson is the latest fresh face to join the harness racing winners’ list, landing his first victory in the sulky at Goulburn on Tuesday (September 2).

Atkinson, who works full-time alongside his father Dean at the family’s Bungonia property near Goulburn, produced a perfectly judged drive to score on the consistent Flying Colors (Vincent) in the Days Industrial Pace.

“I didn’t really think it would take as long as it did,” Atkinson said of his breakthrough at start number 25.

“Not at first, anyway. But it’s a bit harder than you think once you get out there! The trials are much slower than the races and the other drivers don’t give you anywhere near as much room.

“I couldn’t actually believe it when we went across the line – there’s no better feeling. It was unreal, but I was actually in a bit of shock.”

Harness racing runs deep in the Atkinson family. Dean has been training since he was 16, while Matthew’s grandfather Barry Thornton was also a trainer. Now, Matthew has joined them in carrying on the tradition.

“I actually thought the horses were pretty boring when I was a kid – I was more interested in footy,” he said.

“Then one day when I was about 12 or 13, I went up the back and got in the cart and worked one, and I have loved it ever since,” he said.

“Dad has trained them pretty much all his life. He always wanted me to do harness racing or footy – and I picked harness racing. I finished school a few months ago to come to work for dad full-time.”

The family operates from a 40-acre property featuring a 600-metre track and the Atkinson Equine water walker facility.  Matthew’s sister Mackenzie and brother Mitchell also help out in the family business on weekends.

“We’ve had the water walker for about a year. We think it’s made heaps of difference for the horses, soundness-wise, and keeping them fresh after hard runs or into their campaign.”

Flying Colors had been threatening to break through after a string of honest runs. But on Tuesday after settling one-out and two-back, before peeling out in the back straight, he strode clear in the final stages to win by three metres.

“I’ve had a fair bit to do with him, but he’s a bit of a nervy type and I wouldn’t have said before he was one of my favourites – but he is now!” Matthew laughed.

“When we hit the front, he just pulled up a tiny little bit and I thought, oh, you’re not gonna do this to me are you? But he let down nicely up the home straight.”

The Atkinsons currently have 17 in work, with around 10 racing and Dean is enjoying a strong season with 18 wins and 23 placings from 87 starters.

“We don’t train as many as the bigger stables, and every winner counts for people like us. We’re only battlers so for us, every win matters,” he said.

“We’ve got a couple of great owners and things are going well. Rick Bayliss has been unreal to us, and Brian Patrick has helped Dad ever since he got his licence. They’ve been happy to have me on for drives too, which I’m extremely grateful for.”

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink