Young drivers championship stirs golden memories for Poutama

Andre Poutama could be excused for getting a little nostalgic this week.

Three more heats of the 1Equine Australasian Young Drivers Championships will be held at Alexandra Park tonight after the opening two heats were run at Cambridge on Wednesday.

In 2014 it was a then 20-year-old Poutama who won the AYDC title at Menangle near Sydney.

“It was actually my first time to Australia, it was a great trip and I have some great memories of it,” Poutama recalled this week.

“It was massive for myself to win a series like that.”

He had one win and two seconds from the 10 heats but scored consistently in the others to have 89 points overall, 11 clear of Tasmania’s Dylan Ford and fellow Kiwi Sam Ottley on 77. Ottley has since gone on to become the most successful female driver in this country with 970 wins so far.

Poutama was at Cambridge midweek and will be back at Auckland tonight with five drives and again he’ll be keeping a close eye on how the AYDC goes.

“I always follow it,” says Poutama, “one of the things I noticed is that they all look so young!”

After the first night’s racing  at Cambridge Queenslander Layne Dwyer has 23 points at the top of the leaderboard, five clear of South Australia’s Jason Kittel.

Both had winners on the first night – Dwyer with Memories and Hearts N Aces for Kittel.

The best of the three Kiwis is Carter Dalgety in sixth place on 12 points with Wilson House on 11 and Crystal Hackett on 7.

The three heats tonight will be Race 3 (5.54pm), Race 6 (7.17pm) and Race 7 (7.47pm) with Dwyer’s best drive looking like Franco Ronaldo for Tony Herlihy.

The championship then heads to Ashburton on Sunday before the grand finale at Go Media New Zealand Trotting Cup day at Addington on Tuesday.

Poutama meanwhile says the pick of his drives tonight will be Mighty Crunch in Race 5, the Alabar 2YO Mobile Pace (6.48pm)

On debut on October 23 he had a second line draw for trainer Jason Teaz but closed very nicely into sixth.

He has drawn better tonight (3) and looks an each-way chance. He is at $5.50 with Timmy Lincoln (4) a $3 favourite.

“He was very good first up and he does have good turn of foot so I don’t think he’ll be too far away.”

The Captain Crunch gelding was bought by Teaz for $37,500 at last year’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka.

Another with good prospects for Poutama tonight is the Arna Donnelly-trained Lulana, the winner of four from 12, in Race 1, the Book Your Xmas Party @ Alex Park Mobile Pace (4.58pm)

“She disappointed with a wee gallop last time but she had been faultless before that,” says Poutama, “she has ability and was on target for the Oaks so she’ll have to back to her best to head down to Addington for that.”

She’s a $4.20 second favourite behind Mama’s Wish ($2.90).

Poutama’s other drives are Celtic Prince (R2), Brienne (R4) and Horizon (R9).

 

by Dave Di Somma, for Harness News Desk