For many involved in harness racing, the sport has been a passion from a young age or even a right of passage in a family addicted to the game.
But that can't be said for Sofia Arvidsson, who in some ways is an unlikely contestant in Saturday night's Group 1 Chariots of Fire at Tabcorp Park Menangle.
The Swedish national had no background in the trots when she travelled to Australia in her early 20s, but a decision to head to western Victoria and work for Matthew Craven sparked love and a new-found thrill for racing.
Arvidsson embarked on a stay with Craven in a bid to extend her Australian visa, and from there the rest is history.
"I knew there was horses and knew there was trotters, but I wasn't really sure what to expect to be honest,” she said.
"I grew up on a farm so I'm happy out on the countryside doing farm work. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do, but I was happy to have a go.
"When I fast worked the first time, that's when I really got hooked. I started off just riding them and then I jogged a few, but when I had to fast work one, then I really started to enjoy it and just loved doing it."
Things progressed to Arvidsson gaining her trial licence, then "all of a sudden I got very competitive" and driving in races became a reality.
Since then, the 26-year-old has had close to 200 starts in the sulky and already collected 36 career wins, highlighted by the Group 2 Breeders Crown Graduate Trotters Free For All with her favourite horse, Gus An Maori.
While racking up almost $300,000 for connections through her drives, Arvidsson has developed her training skills alongside Craven – now her partner – at his Ecklin South property.
She is currently on assignment with three of the stable's horses for the New South Wales Carnival of Miracles.
Arvidsson teams up with Kowalski Analysis in this Saturday's $200,000 Chariots of Fire, and although he's been ultra-competitive at the top level before – including a fifth in the PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup and third in the DNR Logistics 4YO Bonanza – the task is expected to be difficult.
"There's some really nice horses in this race so it will be pretty tough. He'd need every break to go his way and probably things to go a little bit wrong for the others," Arvidsson said.
"But you have to be in it to win it so you never know."
Stablemates Kimble and October Reign are being saved for the NSW Derby heats on February 27.
HRV – Tim O'Connor