Canterbury driver Matt Anderson is in a race against time if he is to chase down Otago’s Rory McIlwrick in this season’s national junior drivers’ premiership.
Anderson goes into this weekend’s harness racing meetings 13 wins behind McIlwrick, who leads the standings.
The gap may look daunting, but Anderson is the second-closest of any of the runners-up over the six New Zealand trainers’, drivers’ and jockeys’ premierships. Only the jockeys’ premiership battle between Danielle Johnson and Chris Johnson, who trails by five going into today’s Wingatui meeting is closer.
The difficulty of the task in front of Anderson is not lost on him, but he has not given up hope of making the contest a close-run thing.
"We will giving it a crack, anyway. We will be looking to capitalise somewhere."
Anderson got within eight wins of McIlwrick earlier this month, but the gap blowing out to 13 has not damaged his confidence levels.
"I think if I can bring it back to 10 again, I can bring it right back in to consideration."
Perhaps the irony in the run towards the premiership is that that Anderson’s biggest help could be from the area that provides McIlwrick with the bulk of his winners.
The Cantabrian is picking up more and more support in the South as the season goes on, which is evident with his book of seven drives at Invercargill, tomorrow.
"At times I have been travelling down for one drive, earlier on, but now I am travelling down for a few, which is pleasing."
The High Achiever in race 10 clearly heads Anderson’s Invercargill book after impressing his driver when defying his previous form to run second in his most recent start at 30-1 odds.
Anderson also pairs with another Brett Gray-trained runner in El Capitan in race 11.
He was also pleased with that pacer’s last start effort, despite the horse seemingly having every chance in the one-one.
The 4yr-old gelding was much better suited when racing in clear air on the pace, which was where he would be aiming to place the horse tomorrow, Anderson said.
- Jonny Turner
