States’ cream of crop
Elite heading to Launceston for Australian Female Drivers Championship
TASMANIA will host the 2021 Australian Female Drivers Championship in Launceston next month when some of the nation’s most talented reinswomen compete for their respective states.
Two drivers from each state will contest a series of heats on a 10-race program. The winners will be determined on a point-score basis.
Victoria’s representatives, Kate Gath and Kerryn Manning, are the most experienced of the 12 drivers to contest the championship.
Manning has racked up more than 17,000 drives for 4000 wins and 4810 minor placings, while Gath has 1670 winners and 2159 minor placings from 7660 drives.
Manning has earned more than $29 million for owners and Gath about $15.5 million.
South Australia’s Dani Hill and Lisa Ryan are the next most experienced.
Hill has almost 1900 wins and 2522 placings from 9255 drives, while Ryan has just passed the 200-win mark from 2622 drives.
NSW will be represented by the least experienced of the group. Ashley Hart has had 556 drives for 58 wins, while Stephanie Lippiatt has 70 wins from just over 700 drives.
Western Australia’s Emily Suvaljko, 193 wins from 2148 drives, is no stranger to the AFDC. This will be her second series and she will be accompanied by Jocelyn Young, who has 260 winners and 525 placings from 2515 drives.
Queensland’s representatives are Narissa McMullen and her younger sister Dani-Elle Vievers.
The McMullens are from a family entrenched in Queensland’s harness racing fabric and they bring a wealth of experience to the series.
Narissa recently notched her 1000th winner from 8569 drives and Dani-Elle has 362 winners from 3249 drives as from this date of publication.
Tasmania’s Sam Gangell and Hannah Van Dongen are firmly established as class drivers in their home state. Gangell has notched 78 wins from 1180 drives, while Van Dongen is less experienced in the cart and has half the number of drives (598), but still has 76 wins.
The AFDC will be held in Launceston on March 21. There will be a minimum of six heats on what could be as much as a 10-race program.
The AFDC will also run alongside the Team Teal campaign in Tasmania.