Manning heads to Scandinavia

Champion harness-racing driver Kerryn Manning of Great Western will return to Scandinavia this weekend, 21 years after capturing the imagination of the sport’s international community.

In 1997 Manning teamed with star trotter Knight Pistol to win in Norway and become the second female to drive a group-one winner in Europe.

Swedish officials revealed they had far from forgotten her impact in Europe and offered her an all-expenses paid trip to drive in the Ahsell Legends Invitational Drivers’ race at Solvalla in Stockholm on Tuesday.

“It’s half a lifetime ago, literally, for me. I can’t believe they still remember,” Manning told Harness Racing Victoria.

“Fred Crews has just been across there for the Elitlopp with Maori Time and he told me there were lots of people asking after me. It’s amazing really.

“It was only three or four weeks ago I had a missed call from a Swedish number and I thought it might have been a scam call.

“I listened back to the message and it was the invite to come across for this race.”

Manning said it was a busy time in harness racing, with a Breeders Crown fast approaching, but her husband Grant Campbell talked her into accepting the offer.

“He can’t come, so mum is coming with me instead,” she said.

“We leave Friday, have Saturday at the big race meeting in Gothenburg, then the race I’m in is back in Stockholm.”

Officials have informed Manning that the race had become an annual highlight for the Swedes since its launch in 2013.

“Stig Johansson is the legend over there. He retired from driving to focus on training a few years back, but he makes a one-off comeback every year to drive in this race only,” she said.

“My experience over there with Knight Pistol was incredible.

“It will be great to get back over there, even if it’s just for a few days.”

Closer to home, Manning said her pair of glamour mares – Ameretto and Our Golden Goddess – could both be Inter Dominion-bound.

“Ameretto has proven herself at Grand Circuit level and she’ll definitely go to the Victoria Cup and Inter Dominion,” she said.

“Ability-wise, Our Golden Goddess is right there with Ameretto and she looks to have come back better than ever. The next few runs will shape what we do with her. She’s got the Breeders Crown mares’ free-for-all and then the Breeders Crown Open free-for-all as well. Ameretto won both last year.”