Brad Hewitt returning to scale with Captains Knock after winning a heat of the ID24 Pacing Championship at Newcastle. Photo by HRNSW
Goulburn could be on the verge of creating something very special in harness racing.
No pacer from the town has won the coveted Inter Dominion Pacing Championship since its inception in Perth in 1936, while the same can be said for the trotters since that Series was initiated in Auckland in 1943.
Local trainer, Brad Hewitt now boasts the $3 trotting favourite in the Trotters edition, and the $6 fifth pacing favourite in the 2024 TAB Inter Dominion Championship - after he drove The Locomotive and Captains Knock to 1.4-metre and head victories respectively in the first round of heats at Newcastle on Friday evening (November 29).
"I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but both horses won very well, and have recovered nicely despite the huge day out. We left at 1pm on the day of the races and didn't get home until 3.30am (700km round-trip). It's every trainer's dream to win an Inters Grand Final, but there's still two more rounds of heats and then the Final - if we make it," said the 33-year-old, who is competing in his first ever Interdominion Championship.
"It all comes down to the draw and luck in the running. You can go from a $3 favourite to $13 overnight if luck doesn't come your way. But we couldn't have started the Series any better considering Captain's Knock drew 10 and The Locomotive (4) won setting the pace."
The Championship now moves to Bathurst on Wednesday (December 4) where the pacers and trotters move from 2,030-metre mobile starts to 1,730m. The third round of heats will then be staged over 2,300-metres at Tabcorp Park Menangle - the same venue and distance for the Grand Finals on December 14.
The Pacing Grand Final will be worth $500,000, while the trotters will compete for $150,000. Last Friday's heats were worth $30,000 and $20,000 for the pacers and trotters respectively.
Even though Goulburn has yet to win an Inter Dominion crown it has won two Miracle Miles in Sydney thanks to the Kevin Newman-driven Friendly Footman in 1981, and then a year later when Michael Day drove Gundary Flyer to the same Group One Glory.
It’s been a huge achievement for Hewitt, who works about 30 horses with his father, David, and two staff at Goulburn.
“I’ve only ever really trained two trotters, and the other one was a Group One winner as well. Her name was Majestic Trio. She won the Group One Queensland Trotters Cup in July last year and I drove her in the Macarthur Mile at Menangle in May. She was actually runner-up in that same race last year,” Hewitt said.
The Queensland Trotters Cup is one of six Group One winners Hewitt has trained. The others were Bittersweet in the Gold Tiara Final at Bathurst in March; Captains Knock the both the NSW Breeders Challenge 2yo and 3yo colts and geldings’ finals at Menangle in 2022 and 2023; Yarraman Bella in the 2022 Ladex Riverina Mares Championship Final at Wagga in 2022; and Send It, in the TAB Regional Championship State Final also at Menangle in 2021.
Hewitt also boasts six group One driving wins, including the two mentioned above from last Friday's heat winner, Captain's Knock.
"He (Captain's Knock) did really well to win from the awkward 10 draw on Friday. We were one-out-and-three back in the running before I made a move at the bell. The lead wasn't there and I managed to land the one-one. The horse sprinted gamely in the straight to win," Hewitt said.
It was a clever piece of driving that ensured victory for the $6 third-favourite. It was anyone's race at the 100-metre mark but Captains Knock proved too tough winning by a head with a 1:55.3 mile-rate.
It was the four-year-old Captaintreacherous gelding's 18th win in 40 starts, and now boasts almost $527,00 in purses. It was also his eighth win from 20 starts this season. On October 26, the then $1.30 favourite recorded an astounding personal best 1:48.4 win in a $30,000 race at Tabcorp Park, Menangle.
“He is owned by ‘The Triple Play Syndicate’, and was bred by John Rutter. It's quite rewarding to know that the horse is entirely owned by Goulburn locals, and we’ve bred and raced a lot of horses since him, and it hasn't cost us a cent.
"I started the Syndicate up in 2016 when I imported a horse named Triple Play from New Zealand after he had four starts for a third, a fourth, a fifth and a sixth. Under the name 'Our Triple Play' he then went on to be a champion little pacer winning a lot of Country Cups races, including the Group Three 2018 Wagga Cup, and setting a few records along the way.
"All-up he won 17 races ($276,868) and recorded a 1:51 mile-rate when winning at Menangle (December 2017," Hewitt said.
The 11-strong ‘Triple Play Syndicate’ comprises Hewitt and his wife Milly; Josh Stapleton; former NRL players, Jarrod Croker and Sam Williams, who have respectively played 307 and 143 games for the Canberra Raiders; Greg Croker (Jarrod’s father); Tim Croker (relation); Blake Hewitt (relative); Al Wicks; Mick Reid; and Steve Jones.
But perhaps Hewitt’s best chance of Inter Dominion success comes in the Trotters Championship with 2024 series favourite The Locomotive.
Friday's first heat $1.70 favourite led down the back straight the first time and then held on convincingly for a gutsy 1.4-metre victory, with a 2:00.7 mile-rate.
The stunning son of the multiple Group One winning mare La Coocaracha, has now won 19 of his 32 starts for $386,958 in purses. He boasts a six from nine-start winning record this season, including a personal best 1:53.6 winning mile-rate at Menangle last month (November 16).
He was bred by Yabby Dam Farms in Cardigan (Victoria) and has only been with Hewitt since September.
"He's a quality trotter. Some of my lesser grade pacers have trouble keeping up with him. I only got him a couple of months ago from Kialla (Victoria) trainer, Wayne Potter, in July.
Wayne did a great job with him and needs to be applauded for what he’s done with him throughout n his career. He deserves the accolades, not me.
"In a short time, I've now built up a close relationship with his owner, Glenn Holland, and he seems happy with the way his star trotter has adjusted to life in Goulburn," Hewitt said of his gifted entire.
"He's now won all three of his starts for me, as well as a first-up trial win at Goulburn on October 24. He's the best trotter I have trained and driven. I also had him for a few starts in the Winter as well," Hewitt said.
For the record, Hewitt is the oldest of four siblings to David and Maree. He has twin brothers Scott and Sam, and a sister Jessica, who are all involved in harness racing.
