Potter equals Australian record with six win haul

Young reinswoman Tasmyn Potter produced the greatest performance of her rapidly rising harness racing career at Riverina Paceway on Friday, driving six winners from just seven drives in an extraordinary display of skill, patience and versatility. 

Potter dominated the Wagga program, winning with Floppa, Warieda Boy, Bay Of Fires, Hezaflashone, Day Two and Jaccka Evan NZ. 

Her only other drive, $31 outsider Yella, finished third—giving Potter six winners and a placing from her seven appearances on the program. 

The remarkable six-win haul saw the 24-year-old equal the Australian record for the most winners driven by a female driver at a single meeting. 

Potter became only the third Australian reinswoman to drive six winners on the same program, joining two of the sport’s greatest-ever drivers, Kerryn Manning and Dani Hill. 

Manning became the first reinswoman to achieve the feat when she drove six winners at Moonee Valley in March 2000 and later repeated the performance at Ararat and Nyah. 

Hill has driven six winners at a meeting on five occasions, beginning with her Port Pirie sextet in March 2018. 

Potter’s achievement also established a new New South Wales record for a female driver, surpassing the previous five-win mark shared by Amanda Turnbull and Lauren Tritton. 

“It’s a bit crazy,” Potter said when reflecting on the magnitude of the achievement. “It’s pretty special to be alongside drivers like Kerryn Manning and Dani Hill. They’re great drivers.” 

The Shepparton-based reinswoman was raised in a harness racing family and is the daughter of trainer Wayne Potter. 

Her Australian Harness Racing driver profile now lists 161 victories, more than $1.236 million in driving prizemoney, a career winning strike rate of approximately 12 per cent and a current-season strike rate of about 16 per cent. 

Potter registered her 100th career victory at Echuca in November 2025, approximately two years after beginning her driving career. 

She ended 2025 by winning the Victorian Young Guns Series at Melton, recording two wins, two seconds and a third against Victoria’s leading under-25 drivers. 

Her victory aboard $19 outsider Interpretation was named Drive of the Night after Potter settled the horse at the rear before weaving through traffic in the home straight. 

The Young Guns success also earned Potter a valuable trip to the United States, where she experienced different training and driving styles and had the opportunity to compete at The Meadowlands. 

Potter arrived at Wagga already enjoying an outstanding week in the sulky. 

At Shepparton on Tuesday, September 1, she produced a major upset aboard the Wayne Potter-trained Master Miki in the Hygain Pace over 2190 metres. 

Starting from barrier seven, Master Miki was sent out as a $41 outsider against a field headed by $1.90 favourite Bulletproof Kid. 

Potter restrained Master Miki after the start and settled the gelding approximately sixth in the running order. She saved him for one well-timed challenge before the four-year-old son of Always B Miki defeated Madam Reactor by a head in a mile rate of 1:57.1. 

“I didn’t expect him to win,” Potter admitted. “He had a terrible barrier in a full field, but he’s been working well and we had a good week—a really good week.” 

Master Miki was not Potter’s only winner at Shepparton that evening. She also drove the $2.60 favourite Elizajane to victory, completing a double at opposite ends of the market. 

Three days later at Wagga, Potter began her remarkable afternoon by driving Floppa to victory in the opening event. 

Starting as the $2.10 favourite, the Wayne Potter-trained three-year-old worked forward from barrier six, secured the lead and finished strongly to score by six metres in a mile rate of 1:54.1. 

Potter immediately completed a running double when she guided the David Micallef-trained Warieda Boy to a convincing 4.9-metre victory in Race 2. 

Warieda Boy settled around midfield, but Potter remained patient before producing the $2.30 favourite at the right time. 

The first two winners gave Potter confidence, although she remained cautious about what the remainder of the meeting might bring. 

Her third winner came aboard Bay Of Fires in the Riverina Crane Services 3YO Pace. 

Trained by her father Wayne, the gelding was required to work three-wide early before progressing forward and securing the lead. 

After receiving a breather through the middle stages, Bay Of Fires sprinted his final quarter in a brilliant 26.1 seconds and held off Opas Girl NZ by a head. 

The victory was particularly rewarding for Potter because of the time and patience her family had invested in the talented but sometimes challenging gelding. 

“Bay Of Fires has been hard work,” Potter said. “We’ve put a lot of time into him. He hasn’t got the best manners and he’s quite hot, so it was good to win with him.” 

Potter’s only non-winning drive came aboard Yella in Race 5, but the $31 outsider still produced a performance well above market expectations. 

Yella took time to build momentum before finishing strongly for third, beaten just 2.2 metres. 

“He actually surprised me a little bit,” Potter said. “He took the whole race to wind up, but he hit the line pretty well. I couldn’t complain with my day at all, to be honest.” 

The placing maintained Potter’s perfect top-three record for the meeting. 

The afternoon then went to another level when Potter combined with trainer Danny Thackeray to win aboard $14 outsider Hezaflashone. 

Starting from barrier 10 on the second row, Hezaflashone was positioned ninth at the bell. 

Potter conserved the four-year-old before timing her challenge perfectly, bringing him into the race to defeat Sharp Interest by a neck in a 1:54.5 mile rate. 

It was Potter’s fourth winner of the program and the first time in her career she had driven four winners at a single meeting. 

Her fifth victory was arguably the drive of the afternoon. 

Potter restrained Day Two from the start of the Mawsons Pace as the leaders scorched through the opening quarter in 26.4 seconds. 

Settled at or near the tail of the field, Day Two was kept out of the early speed battle before Potter brought the Wayne Potter-trained gelding into the race at precisely the right time. 

“They set the race up for Day Two,” Potter said. “He has always had the ability, but he has had his issues, so it was good to go there and win one with him.” 

Day Two powered home to score by 1.9 metres in a sensational mile rate of 1:50.8—the fastest performance of the Wagga meeting. 

With five winners already secured, Potter entered the final race knowing she had the opportunity to create history aboard Jaccka Evan NZ. 

The Julie Douglas-trained, Eric Anderson-owned gelding was the $1.65 favourite and, in Potter’s assessment, her strongest winning chance of the meeting. 

That knowledge only added to the pressure. 

“I really liked the last one,” Potter said. “I thought he was probably my best of the night. I was a little bit worried when I had driven five and I still had him to come, because you don’t drive six winners all the time.” 

Potter also had to contend with some light-hearted pre-race commentary from Anderson. 

“Eric said, ‘Well, he can’t win now,’ and I said, ‘Don’t say that,’” Potter recalled. 

Once the mobile released, Potter put the occasion out of her mind. 

She drove Jaccka Evan NZ forward from barrier two, secured the lead and controlled the race before the gelding raced clear to score by 7.6 metres. 

Jaccka Evan NZ completed his final half in 54 seconds, including a final quarter of 26.6, giving Potter her historic sixth winner and completing an afternoon she will never forget. 

Potter’s Wagga performance was particularly impressive because her winners came through a variety of tactics. 

She won from the lead, from midfield, from the second row and from the rear of the field. 

Potter delivered on all four favourites she drove—Floppa at $2.10, Warieda Boy at $2.30, Bay Of Fires at $1.80 and Jaccka Evan NZ at $1.65—but also produced two outstanding value winners. 

Hezaflashone scored at $14, while Day Two returned $5.50. 

Her six winners were prepared by four different trainers: Wayne Potter, David Micallef, Danny Thackeray and Julie Douglas. 

The results demonstrated Potter’s ability to adapt to different horses, barriers and race patterns rather than relying on one particular style of driving. 

Potter said her increasing familiarity with New South Wales racing had helped her better understand the horses and likely speed of each race. 

“I find it a little bit harder in New South Wales because I only drive there once a week, but I’m starting to learn the horses,” she said. “They race there every week and I race there every week, so it is getting easier. I’m starting to know what is going on more than I used to.” 

A hypothetical $1 win bet on each of Potter’s seven Wagga drives at the published starting prices would have cost $7 and returned $27.35—a profit of $20.35 and an exceptional return on investment of 290.7 per cent. 

Across the Shepparton and Wagga meetings, Potter drove eight winners from 10 drives, highlighted by victories at $41, $14 and $5.50. 

Including her intervening Kilmore drive, Potter’s 11 most recent results produced eight wins, one third and two seventh placings—a winning strike rate of 72.7 per cent and a top-three strike rate of 81.8 per cent. 

A hypothetical $1 win bet on each of those 11 drives at the published prices would have cost $11 and returned $70.95, producing a profit of $59.95. 

Much of Potter’s remarkable week was shared with her father. 

The father-and-daughter combination won with Master Miki at Shepparton before joining forces with Floppa, Bay Of Fires and Day Two at Wagga. 

The results were especially satisfying after the family stable had endured a quieter period. 

“Dad went through a bit of a quiet stage and probably wasn’t going the greatest,” Potter said. “To get a few wins this week has been really good. They are all starting to go well again, so it is quite rewarding.” 

Potter credits her father with playing a major role in her development as both a horsewoman and race driver. 

“He always tells me what I should have done,” she said. “He was probably pretty hard on me to start with, but he has settled down a bit now. He always helps me—we’ll watch the replay and he’ll tell me what I should have done.” 

Potter’s career was also strongly influenced by the time she spent with leading Victorian trainers Andy and Kate Gath while she was still at school. 

It was Andy Gath who encouraged Potter to pursue race driving more seriously. 

“Andy was the one who pushed me to start driving,” Potter said. “I was interested, but I wasn’t that interested in the driving side of things. He pushed me to do it, and I probably can’t thank him enough now.” 

Gath was among the many people who contacted Potter after her Wagga performance. 

“I received a lot of messages and I couldn’t thank everyone enough,” she said. “Andy messaged me, which was really good, along with Kerryn, Nathan and Jack—people I really look up to.” 

Potter also paid tribute to owner Eric Anderson and trainers Julie and Glen Douglas for the opportunities and confidence they have given her. 

“I probably wouldn’t be where I am without them,” she said. “They have been great supporters of mine and I’m very thankful. It’s hard putting a younger girl on when you have so many great drivers out there, so I’m really thankful to everyone who gives me a go.” 

Her next major ambition is to secure further opportunities in feature races and ultimately drive her first Group 1 winner. 

“That is what we aim to do,” Potter said. “Hopefully a Group 1 is on the cards somewhere.” 

Six wins and a third from seven drives would represent an outstanding career highlight for any driver. 

Coming only three days after her $41 victory aboard Master Miki, Potter’s record-equalling Wagga performance capped a remarkable week and confirmed her standing as one of Australian harness racing’s most exciting young driving talents. 

For Potter, it was also a reward for the work invested by her family, the guidance of her mentors and the faith shown by the trainers and owners who gave a young reinswoman her opportunity. 

by Harnesslink Media