The world’s winningest female driver aims to add the world’s richest race to her resume.

by Adam Hamilton

It just seems right that Kerryn Manning will chase some more history in the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1-million TAB Eureka at Menangle on Saturday night (Sept. 7).

Manning has blazed the greatest trail of any female, not just Down Under, but throughout the harness racing world.

The 48-year-old’s career haul of almost 4,300 driving wins is by far the most by any female in the world.

And the quality has been there, too. Forty-one of those wins have been at the highest Group 1 level, including two of Down Under’s most iconic races. Her drives have banked over $32 million.

Manning became the first female to drive a NZ Cup winner when she teamed with Arden Rooney at Christchurch’s Addington track in November 2015.

Earlier that year, she became one of only three females to drive the winner of Australia’s equivalent, the Hunter Cup, also aboard Arden Rooney. Kate Gath and Natalie Rasmussen are the others.

Wind the clock right back to 1997 and Manning’s win on former great trotter Knight Pistol in the Harley Davidson Trot in Norway made her just the second female to drive a Group 1 winner in Europe.

In between, Manning had five years of complete and utter dominance in Australia when she won the national drivers’ premiership each season from 2001 to 2005. Her 371 wins in season 2002-03 was an Australasian record at the time.

In more recent times, Manning has scaled back her driving to focus more time on training with husband Grant Campbell. Naturally, it’s been a success story, too, with 1,070 winners, including seven at the Group 1 level.

She didn’t just drive Arden Rooney, but trained him as well.

So, it has come somewhat out of the blue that Manning will be part of the shiny new TAB Eureka, which will be contested for just the second time on Saturday.

Years ago, the now champion trainer Emma Stewart worked for Manning’s father, Peter, on the family’s property at Great Western property in central Victoria.

Stewart has gone on to enjoy dominance in the training ranks like Australia has never seen before.

“I drove the first horse Emma trained, Katies Secret, in a lot of her early races, so we’ve gone the full circle,” Kerryn said.

Stewart not only won last year’s inaugural TAB Eureka with 4-year-old mare Encipher, but will also set an early record with the most starters by any trainer in the race with three of the 10 pacers on Saturday.

As well as Kerryn’s drive High Above, Stewart will have star mare Major Delight and exciting 3-year-old Bay Of Biscay chasing the $1 million first prize.

When Stewart was looking for a driver to help harness the raw but exciting talent of High Above, she looked straight to Kerryn.

It’s been a fairytale so far with Kerryn’s four drives on the son of Captaintreacherous netting four wins, including his past two which have forced his way into the TAB Eureka.

Slot holders Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock, who teamed with Stewart and Encipher to win with their slot last year, snapped-up High Above after he won narrowly but impressively at Melton last Friday night (Aug. 24).

Although Stewart has won the TAB Eureka as a female trainer, Kerryn is one of two trying to become the first female driver to win it.

The other is quite a contrast. She is 26-year-old Ashleigh Delosa, who has just ticked past 100 career wins and is yet to salute at the Group 1 level. She will also drive for Stewart, landing the drive on Major Delight after winning on the mare in their past four starts together.

Kerryn admits she had to think — or more so “negotiate” — before taking up the offer to drive High Above this week.

“It’s not ideal,” she said. “Eureka night clashes with the big Vic-bred finals night at Melton where our stable will have some [starters]. After a bit of thought and lots of help from Grant [Campbell], who will kindly hold the fort [at home] for me, I’m going to Menangle.

“It’s such a massive opportunity and I would be crazy not to go and be part of it. I’m also stoked to be able to keep the drive on [High Above], he’s such a talent.”

High Above will be the least experienced horse to contest the TAB Eureka with the race coming in just his ninth start.

The strong female flavor to the TAB Eureka underlines the international benchmark standard Australia sets in this space.

Even bigger than two of the eight drivers being female, HALF the field is trained by females.

Along with Stewart’s three, Victoria’s Jess Tubbs trains Fighter Command and Queensland’s Shannon Price has Sure Thing Captain flying her stable flag.

On the equine front, two females, Major Delight and Eye Keep Smiling, will try to continue the girl-power of the race after the only mare in last year’s race, Encipher, upstaged the boys to win the inaugural event.

Just for good measure, three of the key players in the other major race on TAB Eureka night — the Group 1 Len Smith Mile — have strong female connections.

Former Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave will be driven by Kate Gath, multiple Group 1 winner Better Eclipse is trained by Jess Tubbs and Shannon Price’s influence on the night extends to training Speak The Truth in the Len Smith as well.

You can also weave in the fact Australia’s best pacing mare of the moment, Aardies Express, will take on the boys in the Len Smith Mile and many good judges say she’s going well enough to beat them.