Most busy jockeys and harness racing drivers are confidence players. A win early in the programme can set their mood for the rest of the card.
Former champion jockey Malcolm Johnston always said an early win would fire him up for the day. In Malcolm’s heyday it was common to see him on five or six favourites on one programme.
It seems a disappointing start makes no difference to the mindset of young Hunter Valley trots driver Blake Hughes. This became very clear when the first of his eight drives at a Tamworth meeting last September, broke a hopple loop soon after the start and took no part.
Showing maturity beyond his seventeen years, Blake dismissed the incident and applied his mind to his next seven drives. Five of them won, while another was beaten a whisker in a tight finish - so tight that Blake actually thought he’d won.
Image courtesy PeterMac Photography - On track interview with Mark Lowe after another Tamworth win.
Extensive research by trotting historians has subsequently revealed that the Hunter Valley ‘whiz kid” is the youngest to drive 5 winners on one programme in Australia. All the more astounding is the fact that he achieved this milestone only eleven months into his professional driving career.
Blake’s elder brother Jake added to the fairy tale flavour of the night, by winning the opening race on Three Mugs In for trainer Greg Franklin. According to the Newcastle trots regulars Jake is also a talent in the sulky, but prefers to treat race driving as secondary to his full time job at a pre training property owned by leading gallops trainer Kris Lees.
Blake’s partner, young driver Jemma Coney also contributed when she drove a winning double for her father Greg Coney. By an amazing twist of fate her second winner Roll With Annie nosed out Playboy President, thwarting Blake’s opportunity for a 6 win haul.
Just for the record, Blake’s record quintet was achieved with Chevron’s Reward, Tap It In, Jimmy The Editor, Platinum Revolution and Lady Sharnae. Tap It In, prepared by Jarred Hetherington was the only one not trained by his boss Clayton Harmey.
Happily Jake Hughes escaped injury when involved in a spectacular fall at the Inverell meeting last Sunday (March 29th). Not so lucky were Sarah Rushbrook and Elly Chapple who both finished in hospital - Sarah with a broken leg and back injuries, Elly with a nasty injury to one arm. Our thoughts are with them both.
The winners have continued to flow at a steady rate for Blake since his history making night at Tamworth. He reeled off another two wins at Newcastle on Saturday night, taking him to 56 NSW wins for the season.
Image courtesy PeterMac Photography - The cool and composed style of Blake Hughes as he wins on Believe In Heaven at Tamworth 27/11/2019.
Young Hughes had just begun Year 11 at Maitland’s Grossmann High School, when he suddenly realised he wanted to become involved with standardbred horses.
He’d been spending a lot of time after school and on weekends at the Maitland stables of Paul Morgan. His admiration for the standardbred breed had suddenly surfaced.
Blake’s mother Jenny was mildly surprised when her youngest sought her permission to quit school for a full time job in a trotting stable. He’d heard respected Cessnock trainer Clayton Harmey had a position available and wanted to move quickly before somebody else beat him to the punch.
“I should have been disappointed he wanted to forsake further education for a job with horses, but the look on his face told me all I needed to know,” said Jenny. “I could see the passion in his expression. I really wanted him to follow his dream.”
Blake’s arrival in the Harmey stable couldn’t have been more timely. The trainer’s future had been in the balance for several years following a freakish race fall at Newcastle in August 2014. He still doesn’t know why his mount Beckham Crusader suddenly fell after crossing to the lead in a race at Newcastle. “Another runner ploughed into one of my sulky wheels which catapulted me up and backwards,” recalls Clayton. “A second horse hit me in the back and flung me onto the track close to the pegs. I was able to get up after a few moments and walk to the outside fence. Apart from soreness in my neck and one arm, I honestly thought I’d escaped serious injury.”
The trainer’s assessment was sadly astray. An MRI scan two days later revealed serious damage to his upper and lower back. One compressed disc was wreaking havoc with his sciatic nerve and several other discs had been affected.
Five years and four major operations later, Clayton Harmey is supervising the training of 28 horses from his Cessnock Showground base. “My spine is now held together by two plates and I don’t know how many screws,” said the forty year old. “I’m getting around fairly well and will continue to improve.”
Image courtesy PeterMac Photography - Clayton Harmey with the impressive trophy after Wet My Whistle's win in the Golden Guitar final.
Clayton hasn’t driven a horse since that fateful night at Newcastle. “Blake’s arrival has been a blessing,” he says. “He’ll drive the bulk of the trackwork and will have most of the race drives.”
He gives enormous credit to his ground staff. “My partner Angela isn’t directly involved with the horses, but plays a huge part in the day to day running of the business, he said. “Joel Sweeney and Kirsten Lamb do a tremendous job in the stable and at race meetings. We’re a tightly knit little team.”
High on Clayton’s bucket list is an ambition to train 100 NSW winners in a season. Another double at Newcastle on Saturday night took him to 70 wins on the state premiership table behind Craig Cross with five months of the season remaining. Even higher on that bucket list is his aspiration to train a Group 1 winner. “I’m just hoping the right horse walks into the place one day,” said Clayton.
Blake Hughes was just sixteen years old when he experienced the thrill of his maiden win. Trainer John Radley put the youngster on the moderately performed Royal Lefty in a C1 class event at Newcastle and wouldn’t have expected a drive of such composure.
Blake allowed Royal Lefty to come out of the gate under his own steam, and calmly manoeuvred him into the 1x1 spot. He eased three wide inside the 400m and challenged Ponderosa Bigz on straightening for home. Down the straight it was a minimum of whip and plenty of coaxing to get the gelding home by a whisker - it was the drive of a seasoned veteran.
Blake has continued on an upward spiral since that important win on Royal Lefty. He drove 15 winners in his first season and has been dominant among the NSW junior ranks in 2019/2020. His double for the Harmey stable on Saturday night sees him in seventh spot on the state ladder and a close second behind Cameron Hart on the concession drivers list.
He’s driven some useful horses during the season but has special regard for Wet My Whistle, a NZ acquisition for the Harmey stable last year. The son of Bettor’s Delight won six straight after landing in Australia including the Golden Guitar Final at Tamworth.
Image courtesy PeterMac Photography - Blake in the familiar Clayton Harmey colours.
Blake has had only a handful of drives on Wet My Whistle for one win at Tamworth, but has a real liking for the gelding. “He has a great turn of speed and is an absolute pleasure to drive,” he says.
The young horseman is in no hurry to start mixing it with the big guns at Menangle. He’s had only one drive on the huge circuit finishing unplaced on Big Bang Leonard in October of last year. “I’ll get there soon enough when Clayton comes up with the right horse,” says Blake. “In the meantime I’m enjoying competing at Newcastle every week.”
The young driver’s Mum says he has his feet planted firmly on terra firma.
“He’s happy to mow the lawn and brandish the whipper snipper on request,” says Jenny. “He washes my car and will even do some shopping for me. I’m a lucky Mum.”
Blake will be interested to learn that his early career achievements are pretty encouraging when compared with the records of some Australian driving legends. Gavin Lang drove three winners in his first season and eight in his second. He was sitting on 6150 when illness put his career on hold late last year.
It’s interesting to observe a slight similarity in the styles of Gavin Lang and the newcomer from the coalfields - poise, composure, patience and an affinity with horses are clearly evident.
Over 6000 wins seems an unreachable benchmark for any aspiring young driver but Blake Hughes has got a lifetime in which to give it a crack.
He’s away to a helluva start!
Image courtesy PeterMac Photography - Blake returns after winning on Rocknroll Rhythm Tamworth 05/03/2020.
(Banner Image courtesy PeterMac Photography - One of many Tamworth wins for the Hughes/Harmey combination - Kanye Crusader 16/02/2020)