Maddison Simon has accumulated some nice statistics in her short driving career and last Friday at the Armidale harness meeting added another.
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The reinswoman celebrated her first career driving double at the meeting when she piloted Itz Platinum Plus and Dark Side to a win for her grandfather Len Simon who handles the training of the two pacers.
“I didn’t think I would have a double so it was good - I wasn’t expecting it at all – it was just a big surprise and I like surprises,” Simon said after the days racing.
Only commencing her driving career back in January, Simon has had 25 career drives with the results board displaying four wins, three seconds and two third.
She opened her account in the first race of the day when Itz Platinum Plus took out the Top Pub Uralla Pace.
“The little fella deserves to win it – he hasn’t had a win in a while,” she said.
“He has been racing good.”
“I didn’t think I had it (the win) but it turns out I did.”
In a close finish Itz Platinum Plus held on for a head win over the fast finishing Olympic Wonder (Anthony Varga) with race favourite Groovy Miss Annie 1.2m away third. Itz Platinum Plus paid $13.60 for the win with the gelding recording his first win since March 2016 at Narrabri.
The second win of the day for Simon came courtesy of stablemate Dark Side in the Kelly’s Transport Armidale/Supa Moto New England/Landmark Armidale Pace.
“He (Dark Side) felt good in the race - I just knew he was going to do something good by the way he felt,” she said.
After racing three back in the outside running line Simon shuffled Dark Side to race four wide around the final turn.
“I was ready to accept a placing in the finish but he was keeping up with the others around that final turn so I knew it was all good,” she said.
Dark Side went on for a 2.7m win over a fast finishing Alyeska Dream (Tom Ison) with Maz (Sam Ison) 4.6m away third.
The gelding also produced his first win for his owner Maureen Simon – Maddison’s grandmother.
The Armidale meeting did have a little bit of a “match play” between Maddison and her mentor and grandfather Len, when they were pitted against each other in the Grazag Armidale Pace.
Maddison had accepted the drive behind Alartmicksue who she drove for a win last start at Narrabri while Len was assigned to his pacer Mammals Rockstar.
“Hope we can have a bit of competition and see who comes out the better,” joked Maddison before the race.
She gained the bragging rights when Alartmicksue finished sixth and Mammals Rockstar ninth.
