Likeable Victorian horseman Shane Taylor reckons he’ll be on harness racing’s Cloud Nine for quite a while to come.

Based at Ballan, near Ballarat, Taylor landed his first ever race-driving win at Maryborough last week with five-year-old trotting mare Magic Law (Lawman) – at what was his 99^th steer.

“It’s taken a long time to achieve, and I’ve got close a few times,” Taylor said.

“But to finally get the win was something special. It’s a day that I’ll remember forever.”

Taylor said breeding the horse, breaking her in, training her and now driving her to victory made the achievement even more meaningful.

“I own her with a great friend of mine Ted Carmody who helps me out. Ted was at the track to see the win along with my girlfriend Julie,” he said.

“The first person to congratulate me was another good mate Mick Bellman who ran second to us. We’d virtually just crossed the finish line and he was yelling out to me! A few of the other drivers also later offered their congratulations, which was nice.

“Ted and I had a few drinks afterwards at the track to celebrate the win and then later when we got home, I took Julie out.”

Taylor said Magic Law had always shown promise, but patience had been required and there was the help of many along the way, including his 72-year-old dad Gary, who is at Doreen and still trains and drives.

“We’ve been so appreciative of the people who rang to congratulate us on the win. A lot of our friends who have been following the horse just might get involved now and come on board as owners.”

Despite receiving interest in the mare over recent years, Taylor said selling had never been on the agenda.

“No, we’ve never been tempted,” he laughed.

“I prefer the square-gaiters. I really love them, despite them being more of a challenge at times!

“I’m working five horses at a Ballan training complex, which back in the day was the old Ballan racecourse. There’s four trotters including Magic Law and one pacer.

“A couple of them are babies and I thoroughly enjoy the breaking-in part. I don’t rush them.  When I reckon they’ve done enough, I turn them out and then go again.”

Taylor has Magic Law racing at Stawell this afternoon (February 9) in the $5000 Reg Cooper Memorial Trot.

Records show Magic Law has had 68 starts for three wins, 11 second placings and 15 thirds, earning more than $39,000 in stakes.

“She should go okay. We’ve gone back to our ‘go-to man’ in Mick Bellman to handle her because he knows the track so well,” Taylor said.

Bellman is one of two other drivers to have won aboard Magic Law. He steered the mare to victory at Maryborough in October 2023, while Damian Wilson was the other successful reinsman, scoring at Shepparton on May 27 last year.

Taylor himself has taken the drive 27 times for four seconds and eight thirds, a record that underlines just how hard-earned – and well deserved – his maiden success was.

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink