Hewitt ready to start 2023 with a bang

4 January 2023

PARKES Harness Racing Club heads into what is usually its biggest night of the year when it hosts a crowd of partygoers for the annual Elvis Festival, which comes hot on the heels of last Saturday’s New Year’s eve Carnival Of Cups meeting.

Regarded as one of the best country race meetings on the calendar, the Parkes Cub promoted Saturday’s event well and was rewarded with a huge crowd that farewelled 2022 at the track, concluding with a spectacular fireworks display.

And further south, on the same evening, the Albury Club boasted a record crowd, both meetings pleasing the board and management of Harness Racing New South Wales.

Tonight’s meeting at Parkes officially launches the Parkes Elvis Revival festival which, by all indications, is set to break records with an estimated 30,000 Elvis fans converging on the town.

Bathurst reinsman Doug Hewitt is returning to Parkes after a mixed night on Saturday where he landed just one winner.

But the always-positive reinsman can reflect on a season to remember during 2022, both on a professional and personal level, from capturing his maiden Group 1 feature in the Bathurst Gold Chalice back in March with the talented Ripp to marrying his wife Casey in September.

Tonight, Hewitt has eight drives on the nine-race program and is quietly confident he can open his 2023 account with a few winners.

Hewitt’s best chance appears to be aboard Taylors Four in the feature race, the TAB Elvis Championship.

The mare, which is trained by his father Bernie, is the winner of four races and is a model of consistency, being placed on 12 occasions.

And after coming up with the ideal gate eight trailing draw, Hewitt believes she should be hard to beat.

“She is certainly an honest mare and one that we are pleased to have in our stable,” said Doug.

“Her past few runs at Bathurst have been really solid, including a strong win three starts ago.

“I thought if she secured the right run in transit, which I feel she can from gate eight, she should be right in the finish.

“The Parkes Club put on a really fun carnival, and I really love being a part of it.

“They deserve a lot of credit for what they produce and what they get out of it.”