by Adam Hamilton

Many already think young gun Cam Hart is headed towards Hall of Fame status.

Hart is just 24, but already boasts almost 1,000 wins — 11 of those at Group 1 level — at a strike rate of better than 17 per cent.

For everything he has achieved so far, the next six weeks shape as the biggest so far in his stellar career.

Hart heads to Christchurch next week to chase the most iconic race of any racing code in New Zealand, the Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Cup (which is actually for pacers) on Tuesday (Nov. 14). He may also stick around to drive in Group 1 NZ free-for-all three days later.

Then it’s back to Australia and up to Queensland for Down Under’s most historic event, the Inter Dominion series, to be run over two weeks (Dec. 1-16) at Brisbane’s Albion Park.

In between, Hart will make a hit-and-run trip to Perth to chase one of Australia’s biggest features for 4-year-old pacers, the Group 1 Golden Nugget, on Dec. 15.

“It’s an exciting couple of months to finish the year, that’s for sure,” Hart said.

Let’s start with the NZ Cup where Hart is hoping to go one better than last year — his first drive in the race — when second aboard the Jason Grimson-trained Majestic Cruiser.

He teams with Grimson again next week and most would argue with a better horse in the exciting Swayzee.

The 5-year-old is unbeaten in eight starts since being bought by clients of Grimson and joining his stable earlier this year. The biggest of those wins being upstaging local hero Leap To Fame in the Group 1 Blacks A Fake at Albion Park on July 22.

The normally measured Hart doesn’t even try to hide his enthusiasm and excitement about Swayzee.

“There’s just something about him,” he said. “And he’s come back better since his spell after winning the Blacks A Fake. He’s so strong and he’s fast, too. He was fast back at Queensland time, but he feels sharper this time in work.”

Swayzee has been so impressive; he is into $3.50 second favorite (behind only local NZ star Akuta) for the NZ Cup.

But he will have to do something he hasn’t before, race from a standing-start in front of a loud and large 30,000-plus Addington crowd on Tuesday.

“I don’t think it will be a problem,” Hart said. “We trialed him from a stand a couple of weeks back at Menangle. He stood well and stepped away well. He’s a relaxed horse and he felt like he’d stand there all day if I wanted.”

Hart admits he and Grimson made a pledge to find the right horse and return to NZ again this year after being so close in their first attempt.

“Last year was amazing,” Hart said. “We had a great time on and off the track. As soon as this horse won the Blacks A Fake in July, probably even before that, Jase [Grimson] and I started to get excited about going back [to NZ],” he said.

Like Hart, Swayzee will return home to chase the Inter Dominion.

He looms as Hart’s best chance to win back-to-back Inter Dominion pacing finals after he combined with Grimson and I Cast No Shadow for an upset win in last year’s final in Melbourne.

Just hours before the Inter Dominion pacing final, Hart will be on the other side of Australia — about six hours by plane from Brisbane — to partner one of his favorites, My Ultimate Ronnie, in the $200,000 Golden Nugget at Gloucester Park.

It’s been a meteoric rise for Hart, who started driving in the New South Wales pony trots.

Hart was born and learned his craft in Junee — about 280 miles west of Sydney — which has a population of around 6,000, but was also the birthplace of one of Down Under’s greatest horsemen, the man they call the Inter Dominion “King,” Brian Hancock.

The now retired Hancock won six Inter Dominion finals as a trainer and/or driver.

When Hancock returned “home” to visit friends and family in Junee about eight years ago, little did he know a 16-year-old kid he met at the trots that night could join him in harness racing’s Hall of Fame in time.

Like Hancock, Hart was born into harness racing.

It was 51 years ago when Hart’s great grandfather, George Harpley, trained Welcome Advice to win the Brisbane Inter Dominion final. And his uncle, Allan, did the driving.

“The harness flavor comes from his Mum’s [Michelle] side of the family,” Hart’s father, Mark, said. “It was his uncle, Trevor White who really got Cam started, He’s one of the top trainers in our part of the world [NSW Riverina].”

Cam was driving track work at 10, turning heads a few years later and moved to the big smoke in Sydney soon after turning 18.

“The whole of Junee is enjoying his success,” Mark said. “This area has a proud history in harness racing and so many people follow it.”

As big a name as Hancock is, Junee’s most famous sporting “product” is rugby league champion Laurie Daley. He played 25 internationals through the 1980s and ’90s, was voted the 24th greatest Australian rugby league player of all-time, and is another Hall of Famer.

“People are starting to say Cam is the biggest name to come out of Junee since Loz [Daley],” Mark said.

“The best part is he takes it in his stride. I love hearing from the old trainers who haven’t seen him for a while saying his success hasn’t changed him. I love hearing that as a parent.”