Hill finds joy in the journey as 2500 arrives

Win number 2500 has come and gone, but for ace South Australian harness racing reinswoman Danielle Hill, what sits behind that milestone, and where she is now, is what matters most.

The 41-year-old quietly marked the career highlight win last week, an achievement that places her among an elite group of Australian drivers.

“I’ve never really kept track of that kind of stuff,” Hill said.

“I’ve won the State driver’s premiership a few times, but even then I didn’t tend to look at it too much because I think sometimes it can get in your head,” she said.

“That said, for some reason a couple of months back I was curious about how many winners I’d had and I looked it up – and I’ve been pretty much on the countdown ever since!” she laughed.

And the wait for the milestone proved a test of patience.

“I got three winners in one day at Gawler (March 4) and a really close second, and from there I think I was sitting on 2499 for 10 days or so! I had to wait another fortnight for beautiful old Cadence Lane to be the one but I was rapt to get that milestone and so happy that it was with her.”

The career mark was finally achieved at Globe Derby on March 16, but if anything sums up where Hill is at in 2026, it was her very next win, the following day at Port Pirie.

“I was nearly just as excited about that, because it was the first training win for Rehn Nagel – I was rapt to get that win for her,” she said.

“It’s not just about the winning these days – the older you get and the more you experience the more you realise things matter other than the winning.

“I got a winner on Tuesday at Globe Derby on Golden Jaylet for instance – he’s just so important to Kathy (trainer Kathryn Pickering) and she’s done such an amazing job with him. I got back and she’s crying with excitement that he won. Nothing beats that feeling.

“When you come back when the horses have done a good job and the trainer and the owners are so happy and excited they’ve done well, it might be a $2000 race or a $5000 race or a feature or a country cup – I get the same enjoyment. I just love it and I really appreciate the horses I get to drive.”

Hill’s perspective is no doubt forged through experience, and more than a little hardship.  Her career has been punctuated by a series of serious, and at times life-threatening injuries – in 2010, 2019 and in 2023.

She lost an eye following a race fall in 2016, and in more recent years has undergone major back surgery after ongoing pain and trauma.

“I had pain for so long – and pain is such poison for your mind,” she said.

“Finally, being out of pain and quite physically fit and strong, it’s incredible how much better I feel. The back surgery was one of the best things I have done in my life.”

These days, Hill is meticulous about her health. She spends hours in the gym, has scaled back her training operation, and focuses on driving – a shift that has transformed both her body and her mindset.

“I put myself first now,” she said.

“I am at the gym a lot and it’s the best part of my day. There is no way I would be able to be doing what I do now without the surgery and without paying a lot of attention to looking after my body.”

The result is a driver who, at 41, is not only still competing at an elite level, but whose record speaks for itself, with a remarkable 21 percent winning strike rate over her career.  She has sustained success across more than two decades, including multiple South Australian premierships and regular appearances in the national top 10.

Born into a harness racing family, Hill was driving ponies from the age of six, alongside her older brother Wayne (also a leading SA driver) and sitting on her the lap of her parents Gary and Sue for fastwork before that.

“It was just what we’d always done,” she said.

“And I don’t think I ever really thought about doing anything else than harness racing. It wasn’t even a question!”

These days, Hill’s love of horses extends beyond the racetrack, sharing her time with daughter Brooke and a small team that now includes show horses.

“I love my horses and I love racing,” she said.

“I don’t like the bad parts when I get injured and stuff, but I don’t think I’ve ever thought about doing anything else.

“I’d have to say Brooke is interested – but whether she goes down that path, I won’t have a say, it will be her decision.  How could I say no if that’s the path she wants to go down – but at the end of the day it will be up to her.”

So while 2500 winners is a remarkable achievement, it feels almost secondary to the bigger picture because right now, Hill isn’t chasing numbers so much as enjoying the ride – and perhaps that’s why she’s never been better.

“I do really love what I do, and I’ve been so fortunate,” Hill said.

“I like that people respect that I want to drive horses that I really enjoy driving – not just drive for the sake of driving.

“My approach now is that I just want to enjoy what I do. Just do my best and not worry too much about the numbers.”

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink