Successful weekend for Wayne Hill
South Australia’s premier reinsman Wayne Hill celebrated his selection for the Australian Drivers Championship with a handful of winners at Globe Derby Park on Saturday.
It followed a driving double at Mildura on Friday, giving him seven winners in just over 24 hours.
The 2026 Australian Drivers Championship, featuring the country’s best drivers, will be held at Globe Derby Park on Saturday, October 3.
Hill, who was crowned the 2016 Australian Drivers Champion when the series was conducted at Globe Derby Park, will have his sister Danielle, as South Australia’s other participant.
The state’s premier driver for the past two seasons, Hill, 43, is on track for a third straight title with 104 winners this year, 21 clear of his sister Danielle, and that is despite missing a month of driving through injury.
On Saturday, Hill drove Whata Optimist and Neds Beach to victory for trainer Reece Moore, Nevada Gambler and Reoffender for training partners Jill Neilson and Katie Wilson plus Feel The Moment for Matt Maguire.
“You don’t drive five winners at a meeting all too often,” Hill said.
“I thought I could win two, maybe three on Saturday, but each one of my winners got an excellent run in transit and were good enough.
“Certainly, those two of Jill and Katie’s (Nevada Gambler and Reoffender) are really nice horses with good futures.”
Hill said he was not sure if it was coincidence but since he quit his job with Tyre Power and started working full time in harness racing, that the winners had come and enabled him to win the past two driver’s premierships.
A drop back in grade helped Whata Optimist claim victory in the Bianco Reinforcing Pace Final (1800m).
Perfectly placed one-out, one-back from gate three, Whata Optimist ($2.15 fav) finished best in the straight to claim a half neck win from the game Keilah ($5.50) with Parisian Bandit ($5), an unlucky third, four metres away.
The winner came into Moore’s stable in February and was a first up winner for him at Shepparton.
The gelding’s form had been sound in recent weeks, but he was able to drop back in grade for this week’s heat and final.
Whata Optimist won his heat at Port Pirie on Tuesday and made it two wins in a week on Saturday.
Hill said a strong mid-race tempo had suited the winner.
“He appreciated the good speed mid-race,” Hill said.
“It set the race up nicely for him to get home.”
It was his sixth win for the season and took his stakes past $124,000.
Neds Beach brought up a double for the trainer finishing strongly to win the 2026 Australian Drivers Championship October 3 @ Globe Pace (1800m).
A roughie at $16, Neds Beach sprinted brilliantly to score by five metres from Twin Connection ($4) with Trigger ($15), a half-metre away third.
It was the 10-year-old’s first win since May, but he has been a good money spinner for Moore picking up six victories.
Hill’s first winner at the meeting was Nevada Gambler for trainers Jill Neilson and Katie Wilson in the Hahn Super Dry Pace (1800m).
Backed from $2 into $1.50 favourite, Nevada Gambler found the front from gate three and outsprinted his rivals over the final 300 metres to win by six metres from Bohemian Braids ($3.70) which chased him throughout with Clarenden Tribute ($13), a half-metre away third.
Hill said the winner was a definite improver.
“Last preparation you could feel his talent, but he didn’t pace properly and could put in a few rough ones,” Hill said.
“This time in he has matured and is a really nice horse.
“He has great speed and won untouched tonight.”
Trainer Katie Wilson believes Nevada Gambler is up to the best of his age.
“He is only a three-year-old and I believe he is worthy at a shot for the Southern Cross series in November,” Wilson said.
“He has won three of his last four starts this season and I’m sure with reasonable draws could prove a good chance in the Southern Cross.”
Exciting young trotter Reoffender provided the double for the trainers and Hill’s fifth victory with an emphatic win in the 1800-Got-Junk? Trotters Mobile (2230m).
The four-year-old had done it tough in his races at his previous two starts resulting in seconds but on Saturday, Hill pushed the issue and found the front from gate three.
Once in front, Reoffender ($1.45 fav) was able to dictate and won easily by 9-1/2 metres from Bitta Irish Luck ($5) with Daisy Bouchea ($6.50), a metre away third.
The winner, a star as a two-year-old, missed his three-year-old season through illness and injury, now has three wins and three seconds from six starts this year.
Hill’s other victory came on Feel The Moment in the Kevin & Kay Seymour Trotters Mobile (2230m).
After leading early, Hill allowed the favourite Military Merit to assume control before using the sprint lane to dash through for victory.
Feel The Moment ($4.40) won by two metres from Military Merit ($1.90 fav) with its stablemate Star Of Patrick ($4.40), 1-1/2 metres away third.
The race was a heat of a race for a $15,000 final this Saturday night.
- Story Graham Fischer
- Photo Walter Bulyga