500 winners a Smilestone

PAUL HILL celebrated one of his most satisfying milestones when he drove his 500th winner in Hobart last Friday night.

Hill teamed up with the Geoff Madden-trained Thirlstane King that delivered his best effort this year to score impressively in a C0-C1 over 2090m.

While Hill, 67, pays little attention to records, he was made aware of how many winners he had driven by former harness racing administrator Kevin Neilson.

Just prior to Neilson’s retirement late last year he was researching how many winners certain Tasmanian drivers had driven and Hill was among the top batch.

“I had no idea how many winners I’d driven but when Kevin told me I had driven 492 I just kept count from there and Thirlstane King is my 500th,” Hill said.

“I drove Thirlstane King when he won on debut and I drove him to four more wins but this is the first time I’ve been behind him in just over a year.”

Hill, who is affectionately known as “Smiley” in harness racing circles, has been actively involved in harness racing since 1976 but his foray into the industry goes back to when he was a seven-year-old.

“From when I was seven till I was 15 I worked at the late George Johnson’s stables at New Norfolk and that’s when my interest started.

“But as a young teenager I started to develop other inter- ests and then I joined the navy and that took me away for a few years but I probably knew I’d end up back in the game.”

Hill had associations with some exceptional horses, including Regal Gail, Peta Paige and Timoleon but he is clear on which was the best horse he ever drove.

“I drove the great Sinbad Bay and he was definitely the best horse I’ve ever driven.

“We finished second behind Misty Mike at the Royal Showground when the winner went a rate of 1.57.93 and that was flying back in those days (1987) but I won on him at my next two drives.”

Hill partnered Timoleon to 23 of his 27 wins and he rates one of the gelding’s wins as the best since he’s been driving.

“I drove Timoleon one day at the Royal Showground when he came off a 60m handicap in a race over 2360m and he was in front after travelling a lap — he was a machine.”

Hill doesn’t spend as much time on the card on race nights these days, preferring to leave it to the younger brigade.

“I spend enough time in the sulky working the seven horses I train and I realised a while back that this is definitely a young man’s game but I’m happy to pick up the odd drive.”

Hill has earned a reputation in recent years as the “king of the two-year-olds”.

He has trained the past three “two-year-olds of the year” and he is hoping his well bred filly Enterprising Milly can make it four in succession.

“Enterprising Milly won on debut last Sunday week in Hobart and we are quietly confident she can do the job for us this season,” he said.