The countdown is on for Cam Hart

31 July 2021

DESPITE one of the biggest weeks of his life, with 10 wins in eight days, leading young reinsman Cameron Hart will be forced to take a backseat at Menangle tonight.

On the cusp of landing 500 career winners, Hart has a surprisingly small book of drives at the south-western Sydney circuit.

Needing just two winners to hit that magic mark, Hart has only three drives on the eight-race card, with only Swaggie Shannon (Race 2) rated a decent chance to add to his tally.

Still only 22-years-of-age, he’ll be hoping for success with Rocknroll Angel ($10) in Race 3 while he will need luck if he hopes to capture the night’s feature, the $30,600 group 3 Club Menangle Winter Championship Final.

Hart has the drive on $26 outsider Benalong Valley for trainer Trevor Munday and will have his work cut out beating the in-form Mighty Flying Art (Jack Callaghan) and last-start winners Never Been Said, Viva Las Vegas and Always Rockin.

“I’ll just take it as it comes,” said Hart.

“If not tonight, maybe I’ll just have to wait a bit longer.”

Best bet of the night looks to be in-form square-gaiter Drop The Hammer in Race 6, the Woodstock Trotters Winter Cup.

Darren Hancock has the pacer-turned-trotter in supreme form as he works towards an eventual start in the Inter Dominion at the end of the year and despite the presence of Victorian Big Jack Hammer, has the better draw and should score his 26th win tonight.

Meanwhile the Club Menangle Country Series has had to be postponed during the current pandemic as horses are unable to travel between regions at the moment.

The Country Series has been one of the real success stories of harness racing in New South Wales, with trainers able to compete for some big money on country tracks before contesting an even richer final at Australia’s premier track, Tabcorp Park Menangle.

Club Menangle made the logical decision to postpone the Country Series for the immediate future as the whole of Sydney and environs struggles to get on top of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Club Menangle had also planned to introduce a ‘mares only’ Country Series to complement the current series.

“Club Menangle is fully aware of how important the series is to our country participants, and it is the club’s intention to recommence the series as soon as safely possible,” said Club Menangle General Manager of Racing Operations David Wonson.