SA Trots - Yarn ahead of Sunday's Australian Drivers' Championship at Globe Derby

GLOBE Derby will host harness racing royalty on Sunday when the best in land tackle Sunday’s Australian Drivers’ Championship.

Six of the past eight winners of the stellar series return, headed by Victorian great Chris Alford, WA superstar Gary Hall Jr, Leap To Fame’s trainer-driver Grant Dixon and this year’s runaway leader in the national premiership, James Herbertson.

South Australia’s representatives in the 10-race series, which is being held at Globe Derby for the fifth time in its nine-year history, are Wayne Hill and Gaita Pullicino.

Hill, currently fourth in the national premiership with 213 wins this season, had one of the biggest thrills of his career when won the Australian Drivers’ Championship in his own backyard at Globe Derby in 2016.

“It’s always exciting to be in these types of series, especially on your home track,” Hill said. “And it’s great to have some many big names coming from all around Australia to be part of it.”

The other returning champions are: Dixon (2015), Alford (2017), Hall Jr (2019), Herbertson (2022) and Queensland’s Nathan Dawson (last year).

It is part of a manic festive season for 24-year-old Herbertson, who also heads the line-up for the exciting Victorian Young Guns series – for drivers under 25 – at Melton on New Year’s Eve.

Herbertson is enjoying by far his best season with a lead of almost 100 wins over Queensland’s Pete McMullen in what will be his first national driving premiership.

Deni Roberts, who will represent WA along with Hall Jr, will cap a remarkable end to the year by contesting the series.

Roberts drove three Group 1 winners in November and finished a close second aboard Minstrel in the Inter Dominion pacing final at Menangle on December 14.

Roberts is one of three females in the series. Pullicino and emerging NSW driver Ashleigh Delosa are the others.

Delosa’s NSW “teammate” will be Australia’s top young driver Cam Hart, who boasts over 1200 career wins, including 15 at Group 1 level and the past two iconic NZ Cup aboard mighty stayer Swayzee.

THE LINE UP

Gary Hall Jr (WA), Deni Roberts (WA), Nathan Dawson (Qld), Grant Dixon (Qld), Wayne Hill (SA), Gaita Pullicino (SA), Cam Hart (NSW), Ashleigh Delosa (NSW), Chris Alford (Vic), James Herbertson (Vic), Mark Yole (Tas), Rohan Hillier (Tas).

* Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.