South Australia’s premier reinsman Wayne Hill achieved his ultimate success when Miki To Success won the Group 3 2025 $60,000 Ladbrokes South Australian Pacing Cup (2645m) at Globe Derby Park.
“This is my best moment in harness racing,” Hill said.
“When I started driving 26 years ago I had three things on my bucket list.
“One was to drive a group winner, the second to win a premiership and most important, to win an SA Cup.
“I have won a Group 2 Southern Cross on Ever Hoping, won the last two premierships and now the bucket list is complete.”
Along the way, Hill also picked up the 2016 Australian Drivers Championship, and three times has driven six winners at a meeting. The first time, at Victor Harbor on December 28, 2015, equalled the Australian record but that figure now stands at nine for Victorian reinsman Mark Pitt.
At Globe Derby Park on Saturday, Hill won the SA Cup in a 200-metre sprint in the back straight with two laps to go.
Miki To Success, the unbackable $1.10 favourite, went from near last to the front and from then on Hill controlled the tempo and was always in control.
The four-year-old went on to win by eight metres from a gallant Dhaulagiri ($34) with Hezrockinroyalty ($61), 18 metres away third.
The Cup win continued a fantastic run for a group of old footy mates from country Victoria.
Owners Ray Sellwood, John Hommes, Joe Minutoli, Bob Boyer and Ken Powles all played football together around the Shepparton area in Victoria.
Sellwood, still high on adrenaline after the win, said the group had remained solid friends post footy.
“I have been involved in harness racing for nearly 40 years, always breeding one or two,” Sellwood said.
“When Miki was born I asked the boys to become involved in the ownership.
“After all if you can’t rip your friends off, who can you?” Sellwood joked.
The mates have enjoyed a fantastic ride with Miki To Success the winner of 14 races from just 31 starts, picking up $330,000 in stakes.
Sellwood said the decision by trainer Emma Stewart to run the four-year-old in the SA Pacing Cup had been a complete surprise.
“I was thinking he would be running in the Hunter Cup and found instead he was in a heat of the Cup last week, and as usual, she made the right decision.
For Stewart, it was her fourth success in 10 years having won with Guaranteed (2015), Shadow Sax (20128) and Wheres The Gold (2023).
She now joins legendary trainers Brian Hancock, Lance Justice and Geoff Webster for the most Cup training victories.
Sellwood said his long- term ambition with Miki To Success was to go to New Zealand next year to contest the New Zealand Cup at Addington in November.
“I haven’t spoken to Emma about it but if the horse is going well enough I would love to run him as I believe the 3200 metres would be ideal.”
In the SA Cup, Dhaulagiri came away best from gate five to find the early lead, but driver Lochie Cook was happy to hand up to Miki To Success and chased bravely throughout.
Hezrockinroyalty, from barrier four, settled behind Dhaulagiri in a good piece of driving by Michael Smith.
Trained by Alan Cronin, Hezrockinroyalty came away from the inside with 400 metres to go but could not catch the front pair.
