South Australian harness racing reinsman Wayne Hill joined an illustrious group of drivers after recording six winners at Victor Harbor on Monday, 28 December 2015.

 

Hill has become the 18th Australian driver to drive six winners at a single meeting.

 

Kerryn Manning has achieved the rare feat on three occasions while Gary Hall Jnr, Bill Martin and Barrie Rattray have notched up the feat on two occasions.

 

Victor Harbor hosted a seven-race program on Monday as Hill landed the first six winners before falling short of becoming the first driver to land seven winners at a single meeting.

 

Leading from start to finish on Windburnt ($6.80) in the opening event for trainer Jill Neilson, Hill followed it up by driving the Andrew Kearney-trained Machtwister ($22.20) in the 1 out 1 back position at the bell and holding off Cillas Boy in the home straight.

 

His third victory came when Queen Of Sharkz ($5.60) faced the breeze and crushed rivals by 21.4m for trainer Tyson Linke.

 

Hill’s shortest priced winner would come in Race 4 as he drove another Andrew Kearney pacer to victory; 10-year-old entire Silver Ranger ($2.60) was the second elect and he sat parked outside favourite Star Brutus in a stirring duel up the home straight.

 

Danamite Lass ($10.50) was Hill’s fifth winner in a row as the Waylon Hornhardt-trained mare sat behind Strike On Command in the run and moved to the outside to score by 3m.

 

Joining the record books in Race 6, Hill drove Wills ($4.80) for Wayne Brodie three back on the pegs for the majority of the race. He got off the pegs approaching the top of the home straight and moved three wide to give chase. Wills would score by a short half-head in a tight finish that deceived racecaller Jimmy Jacques who thought Little Tweek may have clung on to victory.

 

Chasing a place in history as the first Australian driver to land seven winners at a single meeting, Hill finally partnered a favourite, Franco Talon ($3.40), but the fairytale and record books would not be re-written after Franco Talon expended plenty of energy to find the lead and wilted in the straight to run 10th.

 

Reflecting upon his record-equalling achievement, Hill said it was unbelievable and he thanked the trainers that had booked him to drive their horses.

“I am really proud of the effort because I don’t have my own horses and have to rely on picking up outside drives. Also, none of the drives were favourite which also is amazing – I didn’t have any short priced horses which could have been ‘sure things.’

“I am lucky to have a group of trainers who use my services and I thank them for their continued support.”

Hill admitted that he hadn’t gone through the form properly for Monday’s meeting due to his 12-month-old son Noah being in the hospital.

“Noah has been in hospital for two weeks and I have been with him each day,” he said. 

“He is slowly on the improve but I am still going in to be with him.”

Hill becomes the first driver in more than two years to drive six winners on the program with Hall Jnr the most recent before him having achieved the feat at Gloucester Park on 18 October 2013.