Racing Queensland (RQ) has announced the nine successful slot holders for the inaugural Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship.
In total, 18 applications were received from Australasia and North America for the nine available slots, with Ladbrokes having already secured their place as the series’ naming rights sponsor.
A selection panel, which included representatives from RQ and the Albion Park Harness Racing Club, unveiled the nine successful slot holders, as outlined below.
Nickname: Double D
Nationality: New Zealand
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $120 Million+
Lifetime Wins: 4000 +
Best Horses Driven: Christen Me, Bulldog Hanover, Bettors Wish
Feature Race Wins: Breeders Crown (various), Miracle Mile, Hunter Cup, Hambletonian Oaks
Fresh off his fifth USA driver of the year award in the last six years, New Zealand-born Dexter Dunn returns to Australia for the Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Challenge as a true global star of harness racing. Thirty-five-year-old Dunn, who claimed 10 New Zealand driving premierships in a row before venturing to the United States, was the very first driver announced for this inaugural series and will drive in the Entain (Ladbrokes) slot.
Dunn drove 304 winners in North America in 2024 to reclaim the driver of the year award with his best ever prizemoney tally of $16.645 million, which was more than $2 million clear of nearest rival Yannick Gingras.
His year was highlighted by winning a record six Breeders Crown championships at Meadowlands in October. Dunn is a household name in Australasian harness racing circles and is one of the most successful drivers produced in this part of the world, driving 2226 winners in New Zealand and 55 in Australia before relocating to USA 2018 where his impact has been phenomenal.
He is well known to Australian fans through his multiple visits to drive in some of our biggest races, highlighted by his association with Christen Me who won a Miracle Mile, Hunter Cup, Victoria Cup and Chariots of Fire.
He’ll be warmly welcomed back to Albion Park having driven with success in Brisbane in the past, winning the 2018 Group 1 Blacks A Fake with Let It Ride just before heading to the US.
Photo credit: Claus Andersen / Harness Racing Update
Nickname: The Green Hornet
Nationality: Canada
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $230 million+
Lifetime Wins: 8000+
Best Horses Driven: A Rocknroll Dance, Father Patrick, Foiled Again
Feature Race Wins: Breeders Crown (various), Little Brown Jug, Hambletonian, Yonkers Trot
The Green Hornet has made his way over from Canada after slot holder ABR/Summit Bloodstock/Ron Bourke/Weaver Bruscemi Syndicate put Gringas at the top of their wishlist.
Gringas is coming off another successful year in the United States including driving 10 of 14 winners on the one card in August.
He topped the North Americas money earning list for all reinsman in 2024 and also drove Karl to win the Hambletonian Stakes.
The Hall of Famer is keen to come out and be part of the series after being part of similar events across the world.
Gringas has been out to Australia before, and no doubt harness racing fans are looking forward to seeing him in the sulky at this year’s event.
Gringas has won the North American driver of the year award in 2014 and 2017 and at 45 still thrives in the big races and events like the Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver where he gets the chance to show his versatility.
Photo credit: Hamilton Content Creators / Gloucester Park
Nickname: Junior
Nationality: Australian
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $50 million+
Lifetime Wins: 4000 +
Best Horses Driven: Im Themightyquinn, Chicago Bull, King Of Swing
Feature Race Wins: Inter Dominion, Hunter Cup, WA Pacing Cup
The Hall surname is synonymous with harness racing in Western Australia and Gary Hall Jnr will be flying the flag for a proud state when he tackles the Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship.
A long-time favourite with punters in the west, Hall Jr will be showcasing his prodigious talent against some of the best in the world when he represents the Gloucester Park Gurus at Albion Park.
At the age of 42, Hall Jr has driven more than 4000 horses to victory, steering home 183 winners in 2024 and more than 200 in each of the previous four seasons.
He has a remarkable 67 Group 1 wins to his name – including nine victories in his home state’s pin-up race, the WA Pacing Cup.
Two of those victories came courtesy of his most successful horse, the legendary Im Themightyquinn whose accomplishments also included three successive Inter Dominion Final victories between 2011 and 2013 with Hall Jr in the sulky.
Chicago Bull was another of Hall Jr’s WA Pacing Cup successes and the popular pacer added two Fremantle Cups as well while Hall Jr also guided King Of Swing to success in the 2020 Hunter Cup.
Hall Jr is a two-time winner of the Australian Drivers Championship, adding last year’s title in Adelaide to the one he won in 2019.
He was inducted into the WA Racing Industry Hall Of Fame in 2019.
Nickname: Hollywood
Nationality: Australian
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $8 million+
Lifetime Wins: 750+
Best Horses Driven: Bittersweet, Extreme Sea, Captains Knock
Feature Race Wins: 7 Time Group 1 winner including Gold Tiara, Breeders Challenge Finals (Numerous)
A memorable season for Brad Hewitt as both a driver and trainer proved the Goulburn-based horseman has what it takes to match it with the best in the business.
And that is just what the 33-year-old will be do when he represents slot holder Triple Play Syndicate.
Hewitt achieved a career best season in terms of winners with his 84 victories in 2024 – taking his career tally close to 800 – and importantly several of these came on the sport’s biggest stages.
The season saw him take his Group 1 haul to eight, winning the Gold Tiara at Bathurst with Bittersweet and ending the year with a memorable Inter Dominion Trotting Championship victory with The Locomotive.
Those victories show Hewitt’s versatility, being just at home behind a brilliant juvenile filly as he is driving a tough open company trotter.
He also steered Captains Knock to a clean sweep of the NSW Breeders Challenge series – claiming the four-year-old final in October to add to the Group 1 two and three-year-old versions he had won in previous seasons – before also driving that horse to two Inter Dominion heat wins.
Hewitt was behind one of 2024’s most exciting products, Extreme Sea when he scored stunning victories in the TAB regional and state championship finals and the Riverina Championships.
He is no stranger to Albion Park having already tasted major success at the Brisbane circuit when guiding Majestic Trio to win the Group 1 Queensland Trotters Cup in 2023.
Nickname: The Postman
Nationality: Australian
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $13 million+
Lifetime Wins: 2023
Best Horses Driven: Not As Promised, Uptown Beachgirl, Frankie Ferocious
Feature Race Wins: 5 x Group 1 winner, Victorian Trotters Derby, Australasian Breeders Crown, QBRED Triads
Nathan Dawson goes into the Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Challenge as a reinsman in form having achieved a career milestone last year.
Dawson drove more than 200 winners in a season for the fifth year in a row, with his 2024 haul of 249 wins taking his career tally to over 2000 victories.
Dawson is one of three Queenslanders competing and will be representing the First Over Crush Syndicate.
The 29-year-old is already in esteemed company in Australian harness racing as one of just five drivers to have steered home more than 300 winners in a season – and in fact went even further when he racked up a remarkable 413 victories in 2023.
He will relish the challenge of taking on some of the world’s most accomplished drivers with his hometown knowledge well in his favour and a parochial crowd sure to be on his side.
He has driven five Group 1 winners in his career and two of them came at Albion Park – My Ultimate Levi in the 2021 Albion Park Gold Final and Jiggle And Jive in the QBred 2YOF Triad Final in 2019.
He ventured south with Not As Promised when the then three-year-old claimed both the Breeders Crown Trot Final and Victoria Derby in 2023 and he also steered Teddy Disco to success in the Redcliffe Yearling Sales Series Final in 2021.
Nickname: The Kid
Nationality: Australian
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $6 million+
Lifetime Wins: 820
Best Horses Driven: Classie Washington, Manilla Playboy, Cat King Cole
Feature Race Wins: Breeders Challenge Blue Final, Qld Trotters Sprint, Patrons Purse, South East Derby
If you hear the term “Australian harness racing’s whiz kid,” chances are the young man in question is Angus Garrard.
Widely considered to be the future of driving in this country, Garrard will take on some of the biggest names in the sport from both Australia and abroad when he lines up in the Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship where he will be representing the SEN, Garrards and 1Equine Syndicate.
At the tender age of just 21, Garrard is already closing in on the remarkable milestone of 900 wins.
He has already tasted feature race success with three Group 2 victories to his name including the Breeders Challenge Blue Final with Queensland filly Soap Opera at Menangle late last year.
His successes in his home state include an APG Gold Bullion Final, Queensland Trotters Sprint, Patrons Purse and South East Derby.
He made a stunning start to his career by becoming the youngest driver in Queensland to notch 100 winners in a single season at just 17 years of age.
Hailing from the well-known Garrard family, his first win came behind Kylie Bromac, a horse trained by his dad Daren.
He finished the 2024 season with 175 wins, the fifth successive year he has topped 150 victories for the season.
Nickname: Go Cart
Nationality: NZ
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $1.7 million+
Lifetime Wins: 127
Best Horses Driven: Republican Party, Krug, All You Need Is Me
Feature Race Wins: Northern Oaks, Ladyship Stakes, Invercagill Cup
The young kiwi Carter ‘Go Cart’ Dalgety links up with N40 Racing/ Boys Get Paid syndicate to take on the seasoned campaigners from around the world.
What Dalgety lacks for in experience, he certainly makes up for in ability.
Among his achievements, no New Zealand driver has reached the 100-win mark sooner than him, and after spending time with Dexter Dunn in North America last year he is already looking at ways to separate himself from the pack.
Dalgety has the Northern Oaks, Ladyship Stakes and Invercagill Cup and with the help of his father, trainer Cran Dalgety.
He looks to add an Ultimate Driver to the resume and when it comes to picking his drives it could be crucial having that experience with him.
Dalgety has already featured in Australia this year partnering Republican Party to third in this year’s Hunter Cup.
Nickname: The Iceman
Nationality: Swedish
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $200 million+
Lifetime Wins: 8000+
Best Horses Driven: Timoko, Readly Express, Conny Nobell, Face Time Bourbon
Feature Race Wins: Elitloppet. Prix d’Amerique, Prix de France, Oslo Grand Prix
Hailing from Sweden, Bjorn ‘The Iceman’ Goop comes to Queensland with over $200 million in stakes earnings and over 8000 wins.
With driving experience dating back to 1994 the European style of racing will no doubt bring plenty of excitement to Albion Park.
Goop has won the prestigious Elitloppet on three occasions including in 2014 and 2017 steering Timoko. Goop has also won the Prix D’Amérique in 2018, 2020 and 2021.
His credentials as a trainer will also put him a good position when selecting his drives.
Goop was keen to be involved in the series from the moment it was announced and secured a spot alongside Tumby Park.
Goop has only been out to Australia to drive on one other occasion in 2007 for the World Drivers’ Championship but this will be his first visit to Albion Park.
The sole European in the series gives Goop a great opportunity to showcase his own style and racing knowledge to the Australian crowd.
Nickname: The Pocket Rocket
Nationality: Australian
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $24 million+
Lifetime Wins: 2140+
Best Horses Driven: Tornado Valley, About To Rock, Tornado Valley, Caribbean Blaster, Tough Tilly, Renaissance Man
Feature Race Wins: 2018 Inter Dominion Trotting Final, 2006 Hunter Cup, 2020 & 2021 Great Southern Stars, 2012 Victoria Cup, 2012 Chariots Of Fire, 2020 Vicbred 2YO final.
Not only will champion driver Kath Gath be representing her family business and Victorian harness racing when she competes in the inaugural Ultimate Driver Championship, she will also be flying the flag for the national Team Teal fundraiser.
The lone female driver in the competition, she will compete for Gath Racing, the business she operates with her trainer husband Andy as one of the dominant stables in Victoria in recent years.
The Gath racing slot will be supporting Team Teal, a national campaign within the harness racing industry that raises awareness and funds gynaecological cancer research in Australia.
Raised in Port Pirie in South Australia, Gath is a multiple winner of the Victorian metropolitan drivers’ premiership and has driven more than 2000 winners in her career.
Her Group 1 tally remarkably stands at more than 50 with her most recent big race successes coming courtesy of stable star Catch A Wave, a multiple Group 1 winner whose victories include the 2023 Miracle Mile and Chariots of Fire double in Sydney, and this month’s upset Great Southern Star winner Watts Up Partytime.
Her other feature wins include the 2018 Inter Dominion Trotting Final and 2020 and 2021 Great Southern Star with Tornado Valley, 2006 Hunter Cup with About To Rock, 2012 Victoria Cup and Chariots Of Fire with Caribbean Blaster and 2020 Vicbred 2YO Final with Tough Tilly.
The 41-year-old has not ventured to Albion Park many times in her career but has driven a Group 1 winner there when claiming the 2015 Nursery Flying Stakes with Burnaholeinmypocket.
Nickname: Leader Peter
Nationality: Australian
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $20 million+
Lifetime Wins: 3160+
Best Horses Driven: Wisper A Secret, Aardie B Miki, Blacksadance
Feature Race Wins: The Rising Sun (G1) 2024, QBRED Triads, Ladbrokes Qld Oaks (G1)
Leading reinsman Pete McMulen will be flying the home state flag when he takes his place in the Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship.
The 33-year-old is one of three Queensland drivers in the competition and will represent the Unharnessed Hawks Syndicate.
The Ultimate Driver Championship won’t be the first time McMullen has rubbed shoulders with some of the best reinsmen on the planet having represented Australia in the World Driving Championship in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany in 2023.
This time though he’ll have the advantage of being on home soil and it could be argued that no-one knows Albion Park better than Pete McMullen.
He is a popular figure with punters across the nation, who affectionately know him as ‘Leader Peter’ due to his skill in rating horses to perfection when in front.
Regarded as one of the finest reinsmen ever produced in the Sunshine state, McMullen’s achievements have him firmly ranked among the most talented and successful drivers in Australia.
He is in rare company as one of just five drivers to have steered home more than 300 winners in a season and is a two-time winner of the JD Watts Award, which recognises Australia’s leading driver of the year.
McMullen has more than 3000 winners to his credit and has tasted Group 1 success on six occasions, including a special victory last July when steering Wisper A Secret home in The Rising Sun at Albion Park for his trainer wife Chantal Turpin.
Nickname: Superman
Nationality: Australian
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $21 Million+
Lifetime Wins: 3100 +
Best Horses Driven: Park Life, Torque In Motion, Bronski Zulu, Quik Change, Agent Black
Feature Race Wins: Australian Pacing Gold 2YO Final, Ladyship Mile, QBRED Triad Final – 3YO And 2YOC, 2023 QLD Oaks, 2015 Sunshine Sprint, Qld Pacers Derby
Nickname: Herby
Nationality: Australian
Lifetime Stakes Earnings: $12 Million+
Lifetime Wins: 1400+
Best Horses Driven: Coastal Babe, Heza Punk Rocker, Bulletproof Boy, Kiss NZ, Let Her Roll, Ebonys Avenger
Feature Race Wins: Victoria Oaks Final ,VICBRED Super Series, Ballarat Pacing Cup, Breeders Crown (3YO and 2YO Fillies) Final, Bendigo Cup
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