First win this season for Neal
Lyn Neal has experienced many highs in her 36 years as a driver but she described dead-heating with Samantha Ottley at the recent meeting at Cambridge Raceway as one of the personal highlights of her career.
‘‘It was my first dead-heat and to share it with Sam was such a thrill,’’ said Ottley
‘‘We both wore the teal pants and we were both delighted to have been ‘Team Teal’ ambassadors.
‘‘I enjoy raising money and awareness for any people in need, but the Women’s Cancer Foundation and ovarian cancer is such a great cause.
‘‘You couldn’t have scripted it any better.
‘‘We were both so happy after the race.
‘‘We had to get back out on the track for the next race but it’s something we will remember for a long time,’’ she added.
The teal colours dead-heated the eighth event – the $8500 Alabar Mobile for the R55 TO R65 pacers.
Neal was driving the four-yearold Christian Cullen entire -Makers Mark she trains with her husband Andrew, while visiting Canterbury-based reinswoman Ottley shared the prize with the Frank Cooney and Tate Hopkins trained Somewhereinbrooklyn.
It was Neal’s first driving suc- cess of the season and the stable’s fifth.
Half an hour earlier her husband steered Credit Master to win the $9400 Flair Handicap for the R52 to R70 trotters.
That four-year-old Muscle Mass gelding is one of about eight horses in work for the Neals.
‘‘Like all the girls who were driving on Thursday night I was proud to be wearing the teal pants. Big congrats must go to Cambridge Raceway and the young, progressive team that they have working there.
‘‘They really got behind Team Teal and that is a credit to them. I was stoked for everyone who was involved,’’ Neal said.
Ottley has now been to Cambridge three times and won all three occasions.
The 27-year-old won behind the Paulette Screen trained Regal Petite on September 12, 2013, and then she nailed her only Group One winner behind the Mark Jones trained Rocker Band in the in the Harness Jewels 4YO Diamond in 2016.