Haylee Day with Electra Girl and trainer Simon Locke. Photo by Lance Fearne Photography
Goulburn horsewoman, Haylee Day, notched up her third career win in 10 days at the Goulburn Paceway on Monday (March 31) behind a $61 longshot that was retired after suffering leg injuries in a float accident in December 2023.
The Simon Locke-trained mare, Electra Girl, suffered severe cuts and bruises to her hind legs when the Goulburn horseman was involved in a collision on the way to Canberra.
“I thought that was game over for her. Both of her legs suffered quite a bit of damage when they went through the back of the horse float. She shredded her legs to pieces. But she’s a tough mare, and thanks to patience and some good and wise advice, she’s back racing again.”
“Although I boxed her for most of the time, the advice was to keep her legs moving. Stretching her legs would help her recovery, and sure enough, the advice was spot on, and she was back racing at Goulburn nine months later (September 2024). This was her first win since then and sixth overall. She had been racing well without any luck and I didn’t think by any means that she should have paid $61. Haylee drove her perfectly from gate three,” 41-year-old Locke said.
In fact, the Locke stable quinella-ed race six, the $9,792 Seib Racing Pace, when 16-year-old son George Lee got up for second driving Smokeshow.
Electra Girl (3 – white) with Haylee Day holds off Smokeshow (6 – green) with George Lee at Goulburn – 31 March 2025 (Photograph – Lance Fearne)
For Day, the half-neck-victory capped off a memorable 10 days of race driving.
The 31-year-old broke through for her first career win behind the Scott Hewitt-trained, Guilty Party at Wagga Wagga on Friday, March 21. She then saluted the judge behind My Crackling Rosie for the same trainer, at Wagga Wagga seven days later on Friday, March 28.
My Crackling Rosie with trainer Scott Hewitt & driver Haylee Day who brought up career win 2 at Wagga – 28 March 2025 (Photograph – Riverina Paceway)
“That first win will always be memorable not only because Scott is my cousin, but he also gave me my first trial drive behind Zenxena, However, Monday’s Goulburn win wasn’t far behind. I’d driven her once before on race-day and also won a trial with her. Electra Girl is a such a tough mare. She has made an amazing recovery considering what she’s been through”.
“But the fact she was a rank outsider and has made a comeback from retirement made the victory even more sweet. I enjoy driving for Simon. He rents stables off my dad, Neil, at Goulburn and does a great job training, he only has a few horses (three) in work and they’re always turned out well” Day said.
“The past 10 days have been a real surreal feeling,” she added.
But the former galloping track-worker said her first win would always be memorable because it was a ‘family triumph’.
“My Dad, Neil, and Scott’s Mum, Maree, are brother and sister. That made it special,” she said.
Electra Girl, a five-year-old daughter of Highview Tommy and the one-win Flight N Irish mare, Forbidden Town, drew three in Monday’s 1,710m mobile and Day positioned her in the one-one early before being one-out-and-two-back at the bell.
Day then hooked her out for a run at the 300m and in the homes straight had too much sprint for the fast-finishing stablemate, Smokeshow.
Electra Girl has now had 37 starts for six wins and seven placings, and $38,776 in purses. Her winning mile-rate was 1:57.8 – 1.5 second slower than her personal best winning time of 1:56.3 which she recorded when winning at Goulburn pre-accident on March 13, 2023.
Locke’s wife Courtney bred and owns Electra Girl. She is the second, and most successful, of the three foals out of Forbidden Town. Locke said she has also left a nice 2-year-old Lennytheshark filly, and is currently in foal to Bling It On.
“Courtney does a really good job with the foals and helps a lot with the horses. We have three in work. The other being the 13-win ($79,343) Betterthancheddar gelding, The Ex Horseist, who is probably the best of the trio. He’s going really well at the moment and George has been driving him well,” Locke said.
As for Smokeshow, Monday’s run was her first run back in New South Wales since leaving for Queensland, in May last year. She raced in the Shane Graham colours and won two races and recorded several placings. That 4-year-old Four Starzzz Shark mare has now raced 31 times for two wins, eight placings, and $30,184 in stakes.
“I think she could win a few more races and although she’s had a few little issues, I think potentially, all going well, the mare could make a Saturday night horse. George also gets on very well with her,” Locke said.
Born in Sydney and raised in Rosehill, Locke has been a lifetime friend of multiple Group One trainer, David Aiken. When Locke was in his mid-teens, he left St Annes Catholic College in Temora and moved to Victoria where he helped Aitken train horses.
“David has always been someone that I have looked up to, and even today I still call him regularly as both a friend, and for help and advice with my horses.”
“I was with him for several years and then got out of the industry for 20 years, because it was hard to make a decent living from it. I was a shearer, and these days I am a farm hand at Cordina Chicken at Grabben Gullen” said Locke, where he currently resides with his family, 44km from Goulburn.
“I’d like to train fulltime but it’s just so hard getting horses. I’m happy with my life right now. I enjoy working a small team. All of our kids have been involved in horses, especially the mini trotters,” Locke said.
The Lockes’ have five children – Michala (22), Georgia (20), George (16), Caden (11) and Harper (9).
Locke has trained 34 winners from 325 starters since the 2017-2018 season. He has also placed 84 times and netted $273,973 in purses. He said he had also driven about a dozen winners.
“I enjoy training much more these days and like to leave the driving to the younger ones like George or Haylee. They are both good listeners. Haylee drove the horse exactly how I wanted on Monday. We have a family operation and I’m grateful to Courtney and all the children who assist. Young Caden helps a lot with Electra Girl. He’s the ‘master influencer’,” Locke said.
“I also want to thank Justin Day. He does a fantastic job for us with his shoeing of our horses,” he added.
Locke is on target to beat his personal best tally of eight wins on both the 2024 and 2023 seasons. He currently has four triumphs in 2025.
Meanwhile, Day has now had 29 race-day starts in her break-out season for three wins and three placings.
Born and educated in Goulburn, Day helped her father, Neil, break-in standardbreds for two years when she left Goulburn High School, before heading down the thoroughbred path.
“Riding had always been my passion and I rode trackwork for Guy Walter for a couple of years before he sadly passed away. I relocated to Kembla Grange and rode for Kerry Parker before making the move to Randwick to work under Peter and Paul Snowden. I did eight years with them as a track rider/travelling foreman over the carnival periods before stepping into an office role for the last two years with them.”
“I had complications keeping my weight down to try my hand at becoming a jockey so I never rode race-day after completing my official barrier trials to become an apprentice. A couple of years ago I returned home (Goulburn) when my older sister Amy went to join forces with her partner Matty Craven in Victoria. I also needed a change of scenery, so I came home with the luxury of working remotely with a book keeping role and helped out at Dad’s again.”
“At that stage I had no intention of driving on race-day. In fact, it took me six months to get excited about it. I just enjoyed working and going to the races with Dad as I had spent so much time away from family, but it didn’t take me long to get the bug for harness racing again. My cousin Scott then gave me my first trials drive and before long I was hooked. Now here I am in 2025 driving”.
“It’s been an unreal 10 days. I was so happy that I could drive a winner for Simon because he has always supported me. Now that I’ve tasted that winning feeling it’s hard not to want it more, but I know I’m learning my craft. I still have a way to go, but I’ve always been around horses since day one, and I just love working with horses. Being born into racing I had no chance, did I?” Day said.
“Dad has been a great teacher and mentor. I enjoy working for him. He has had a lot of success over the years and he not only teaches me so much, but he also inspires me,” she added.
Neil and Vickie Day have three children – Amy, Haylee and Justin.
