This year had already been one to remember for Madi Young but the up-and-coming harness racing driver added a couple more moments to her ever-expanding highlights reel at Dubbo on Boxing Day.
Young drove a double at the annual Boxing Day meeting at Dubbo Harness Racing Club, both for trainers who have helped her during her rapid rise in the sport.
Young took out the Western Plains Granite Pace (1720m) early on with Alabama Ace for Rodney Lemon and later in the night she saluted with Playing Arkabella, trained by her stepfather Greg Coney.
The double was special, but it’s just one big moment in a 2018 which saw Young claim the Harness Racing NSW Rising Star Series while she also acted as an ambassador for the NSW Standardbred Owners Association.
“I’ve been lucky enough to win rising stars and be ambassador for the owners association. I’ll be in the rising stars again next year so I’ve had a pretty good run,” she said at Dubbo.
“I’ve had a few really good opportunities and it’s been a really good 12 months.”
Young showed her talents on Wednesday night when guiding Alabama Ace to a classy win in the Western Plains Granite Pace.
Hometown hope Medonc ($17) got away well from gate five and took the lead just outside Alabama Ace ($1.70 favourite), with Young happy to take a sit on the inside from gate one.
Medonc continued to lead as the field got the bell for the final lap while Shadow Dealer ($5) was producing an incredibly tough run three wide.
Young took control down the back staright as Medonc faded but Shadow Dealer continued to push despite all his work and moved into second.
It was all about Alabama Ace though and after dealing with some strong pace early he still had the quality to kick clear late and win by a dominant 9.4m from the fast-finishing Tayla Studleigh ($6.50) while Punters Delight ($23) ran home for third.
“He’s more over the distance type of horse and when there was only one lap to go he was plugging along like there was still an extra lap,” Young said.
“But I gave him a liven up down the back on the last lap and he felt really good and did pretty easily. He gave me a good fell the whole way and there was really no point in time where I thought he was going to get beat.”
The result continued a strong run of form for the nine-year-old Alabama Ace.
Trained at Wyalong by Lemon, the gelding has now scored back-to-back wins after a second-placed finish at Junee.
“He won last start and went really good. Let’s hope he doesn’t go through grades too quick,” Young said, before praising the work of Lemon.
“I’ve been driving for him for a while and when I can’t get there he drives them himself.
“I’ve probably won about seven races for him and he does a really good job.”
Young scored her second win in the night’s seventh race, Playing Arkabella ($2.60 favourite) scoring by a comfortable 6.8m for trainer Coney.
By Nick Guthrie