George Town schoolgirl Bronte Miller, who turned 16 only last month, had the thrill of driving her first winner at the Hobart harness meeting on Sunday night.
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And, she did it in memorable style, coming from last at the bell on Jakes A Joy and rounding up the whole field on her way to a runaway 10m victory.
Miller said she first sensed she was a chance of winning approaching the home turn when she moved four wide on Jakes A Joy and he started to make ground quickly.
"He felt really good on the corner and that was when I started feeling a bit confident," she said.
A year 10 student at Star Of The Sea College, Miller works for Jakes A Joy's trainer Ben Yole in her spare time and has had about 10 race drives.
She has a pony club background and a strong family link to harness racing as her father Clayton is a trainer.
"I started driving trackwork when I was 14 and it's something I really like doing," she said.
"My ambition is to become a school teacher but I also want to continue driving."
MYSTIC ODDS CUT
Bookmakers reacted swiftly to Mystic Journey's return to form at Moonee Valley on Friday night, more than halving her odds for the $1 million Empire Rose at Flemington next month.
The Spreyton-trained mare had drifted to $21 for the group 1 mares' race on October 31 but Ladbrokes has now slashed that price to $10.
She is a clear second favourite behind Arcadia Queen at $8.
However Arcadia Queen may not be one of her rivals as she is fourth favourite for the Cox Plate - run only seven days earlier - and is unlikely to contest both.
Mystic Journey was also nominated for the Cox Plate but was not a first acceptor.
Connections decided to change direction after she was unplaced at her first two runs after a spell.
The five-year-old's tough win in Friday night's Stocks Stakes over 1600m - racing wide before getting the better of classy WA mare Perfect Jewel - appears to have vindicated that decision.
The Empire Rose is over the same distance and she will again be racing against her own sex.
STAKES TO RISE
The base stakemoney for thoroughbred races in Tasmania will rise from $17,000 to $18,500 from October 1.
This is a result of the six per cent increase in funding announced last month.
In total, the thoroughbred code will get an extra $705,000 this financial year which will also fund additional races and a $150,000 increase for the Tasbred scheme.
Harness racing's $347,000 increase will be used to fund extra races at existing Sky 1 meetings while greyhound racing will use its $266,000 increase to add $400 to the prizemoney for every race.
