Ford and Van Dongen set to represent Tas at AFDC

24 March 2023 | Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing
Logo

Tarn Ford and Hannah Van Dongen have both been selected to represent Tasmania at the upcoming Australian Female Drivers Championship at Brisbane’s Albion Park.

The six-race series will be held on 1 April.

It will be the first time Ford has represented the state. She has driven 23 winners in her career, with 10 of these coming this season, where she has a winning strike rate of 11% so far in 2023.

It will be the fourth time Van Dongen will represent the state. She is closing in on 100 career winners and finished fifth on last season’s leading female drivers’ premiership after winning the title in the 2019/20 and 2017/18 seasons.

Other drivers competing include:

  • Queensland: Narissa and Taleah McMullen
  • New South Wales: Amanda Turnbull and Jemma Coney
  • Western Australia: Emily Suvaljko and Demi Roberts
  • Victoria: Michelle Phillips and Ellen Tormey
  • South Australia: Samantha Pascoe and Dani Hill.

The series winner is determined by points accumulated over the six heats of the championship.

Ford and Van Dongen will warm up for the series with several drives on the eight-race Hobart card on Friday night, which commences at 17:24 and can be seen on TasracingTV and Sky Racing 2.

 

Related News

5 January 2026
Fat Louie overcomes his problems
Constant problems with his joints, particularly in his hind legs, have seriously threatened the career of New Zealand-bred five-year-old Fat Louie, who rewarded ace trainer-reinsman Chris Voak for his patience and care with a stirring victory in the $30,000 Trotsynd Warwick Pace over 2130m at Gloucester...
5 January 2026
Young, the Miracle Man
Miracle man Michael Young, WA’s leading trainer with 127 winners in 2025, continues to astonish with his magical ability to revive the careers of moderate pacing performers --- and he is living proof that there still exists amazing bargains in harness racing. In his latest achievement he has resurrected...
5 January 2026
Nova Baxter shines in Matron Stakes
Eight-year-old mare Nova Baxter ($2.05 fav) once again produced her brilliant standing start manners to claim the Art Meeker Memorial Matron Stakes (2579m) in Hobart on Sunday afternoon. Starting off a 20m handicap, the Rohan Hillier-trained and driven mare flew away to join the front markers within...
5 January 2026
Hamilton: A classic Hunter Cup in the making
This Hunter Cup has a really exciting old-school feel to it. It’s got all the ingredients of a classic Hunter Cup, the race that first sparked my love of harness racing when “The Frog” (Preux Chevalier) won it way back in 1985. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY AT THETROTS.COM.AU
5 January 2026
There's no stopping this old Boy
Courtesy of Harness Racing Update SCOTT Ewen left South Australia more than six years on the wings of his best horse, Bulletproof Boy. Harness racing in Ewen’s home state was on its knees and a chance meeting at the once iconic Mildura Cup Carnival led to an offer to move to Victoria and train...
Click for more