Young’s maiden NZ Cup
JESSICA Young often whips up a cracking lemon meringue pie in her time away from harness racing.
Baking is one of Young’s main interests but her immediate focus is driving Quick As A Trick in the country’s richest harness race at Addington on Tuesday. She will be having her first New Zealand Cup drive.
The metric two mile standing start event carries a stake of $750,000.
‘‘It’s always been a dream to drive in the Cup . . . it’s always in the back of your mind,’’ said Young, who is employed by Christchurch trainer Dean Taylor.
Quick As A Trick is trained at Woodend Beach in North Canterbury by Robert and John Dunn.
Young said her mindset for the Group I would be the same as she used for other races – to stay focused and do her best.
‘‘But there is excitement about the Cup.’’
She has been Quick As A Trick’s regular driver this year and their two wins together have been in the Green Mile (Methven) and Central Otago Cup (Omakau). Some of his opposition in both races are in Tuesday’s Cup.
Her father Paul Young had one NZ Cup drive in 33 years of being a reinsman. His runner in 1984, Stortford Lodge, didn’t finish as he was brought down in a skirmish 600 metres from home.
‘‘I got catapulted out [of the sulky] and ended up in the middle of the track . . . I sprained both my wrists,’’ Paul Young said.
He worked from 1972 to 1984 for owner-trainer Ted Lowe who won NZ Cups with Humphrey (1968) and Cairnbrae (1964).
Paul Young now trains six horses at West Melton.
Jessica Young rode ponies and competed in showjumping events during most of her school years. She became interested in harness racing 11 years ago when she jumped in the training sulky to jog her father’s horse, Triple X.
Her earliest memory of the NZ Cup was the 2005 renewal won Mainland Banner.
‘‘I remember Mi Muchacho (11th) was in it. He was grey and an awesome horse,’’ Young, 25, said.
Tuesday will be the first time she has driven at the NZ Cup Day meeting. She had to give up the drive on her father’s horse, Roxy Bromac, in 2012 because of exams in Wellington for a pharmacist’s qualification she now holds.
The exam was on when Roxy Bromac finished 13th in a C2-3 contest for reinsman Tony Herlihy.
‘‘I watched the Cup [on television] at Wellington Airport,’’ Young said.
Every second Saturday she works at the Belfast Pharmacy.
One of her uncles, Duncan Campbell, trained Massacre to win the 1961 Interdominion Final at Addington. Another uncle, Doug McCormick, retired from training and driving in 2013 after a successful career.