Garrard’s big night has arrived

By Duane Ranger

After storming on to the Queensland harness racing scene this season, Angus Garrard looks likely to make an even bigger splash tomorrow night when he gets to fulfil a lifetime dream.

“I’ve always wanted to be a driver for as long as I can remember, but Saturday nights are the nights I remembered the most when I was growing up,” Garrard said.

“I was a young spectator (trackside) and used to think, gee it would be great to drive under the lights on Albion Park’s biggest night.

“Now it’s arrived, Saturday night – metropolitan races – yes!

“The dream is almost a reality, I’m rapt I can now drive any day of the week.”

The Year 12 St Paul’s student, who still has to be driven to and from the racetrack, couldn’t have wished for a better start to Saturday night racing.

Garrard has four drives, which includes two favourites, a second favourite, and the other opened up paying $8.

Throw in the draws two, one, one, and one and you have almost got the perfect birthday week.

Garrard will be looking for his fourth win behind one of Queensland’s fastest pacers, the Darren Weeks-trained Speech Is Silver in race six.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better or faster horse to drive on the first Saturday after my 17^th birthday,” he said.

“He is an amazing pacer, he has immense speed and a huge turn of foot and he can go through the gears all right.

“I’ve got some nice drives on Saturday night but he’s the best of them, it’s also one of very few times he has drawn the pole - that’s because Darren gets a claim with me on him.

“In an ideal world I’d like to think we can hold the lead then out-sprint and then out-stay them.”

Speech Is Silver will be attempting to claim a ninth race in his last 10 starts.

All up, the Mach Three gelding has won 12 of his 16 starts and placed in three others for $63,961 in stakes.

To prove just how highly the five-year-old bay is touted, his last  nine win dividends have paid $1.04, $1.04, $1.10, $1.09, $1.10, $1.22, $1.25, $1.30, and $1.25.

No other pacer in the Band Five 2,138m mobile is paying single figure win odds, but Speech Is Silver’s only other start from one resulted in a sixth in the Rising Stars Championship Final at Albion Park on October 19.

He led that night and faded - but he wasn’t at 100%.

“Darren and Kylie (Rasmussen) have got him right on top of his game at the moment, and if I do things right I think he will be very tough to beat,” Garrard said.

“He’s one serious racehorse and it’s a privilege to drive him so early in both of our careers.”

It’s been a privilege to watch Garrard transition from Queensland’s best ever Mini Trot drivers to a junior reinsman last season - and now all of a sudden, the sixth best driver in the Sunshine State.

“I couldn’t have scripted it any better, it’s been a dream start to my first full season of driving; I would never have thought I would have 83 wins on the week I turned 17,” Garrard said.

“I can’t thank my family and all the owners and trainers enough, but now that I’m here I really want to get to 100 winners first-up - that would cap off a dream start to my career.”

He said if he continued to get support from stables outside his family, then the highly respected academic might be tempted to cast the books aside – for now.

“I’m still not too sure about future study, I probably would have got straight into it from school but I never ever thought I’d do this well,” he said.

“The generosity from other horsemen and women have almost made the decision for me – for now.”

As at Friday morning, Garrard had driven his 83 winners from 627 drives this season, he’s also placed 147 times and banked $430,021 in 2019-2020.

Last year Garrard drove 10 winners from June 16 on.

The brilliant teenager spoke also spoke in depth about his four momentous drives at Albion Park tomorrow night.

He has no waiting either, with a drive behind his father Daren’s pacer Invincible Loxton in race one.

Here’s what Garrard had to say about the quartet (with race, trainer, horse, draw, form, and opening odds):

Race 1: The Daren Garrard (father) trained INVINCIBLE LOXTION (2) - 58157 - $4.60 second favourite:

“He been a really good horse to us and he’s racing really well without much luck, last week’s run was better than what it looked.”

“They came home a real slick quarter and that wasn’t his go from a tougher draw.

“Hopefully from this nice draw we can get across to the front and dictate the pace – each-way hope.”

Race 3: The Brett Cargill trained WATTLEBANK FLYER (1) - 87877 - $8:

“Brown gelding, who is proven at Albion Park; his form is way better than what it looks.”

“He could be forgiven for his first start back here last week when he was beaten by the draw (10).

“Before Brett got him he had been racing at Menangle against some quality Sydney horses.

“From the draw and with last week’s run behind him, I think he is a real good show in this.”

Race 6: The Darren weeks trained SPEECH IS SILVER (1) - 11111 - $1.25:

“He’s the ‘real deal’ – a real quality horse, his form says it all really.”

“He keeps stepping up in class and gets the claim here, if we land handy or lead he should get the job done again.

“He’s a real credit to Darren and Kylie, he felt awesome when I drove him to win here last month (May 15).

“I’ve never led with him before and that’s the aim here, and he’s my best winning chance of the night.”

Race 9: The Donny Smith trained SIR FAHRENHEIT (1) 11428 - $4.40 loose favourite:

“He’s a really classy trotter when he’s right, and he ran a slick 59 over the 2600m a few starts back.”

“This is his first start back since May 19 and I think the freshener would have done him the world of good.

“This is a really strong field, but when he’s right he’s one of Queensland’s best trotters.

“I think he’s up to this field from gate one, he just needs to get away and land somewhere near the top and we can be right there at the finish.”