Ison scores Redcliffe victory in short Queensland return

By Jordan Gerrans

Young reinswoman Emma Ison capped a short return to the Sunshine State by driving a winner around ‘The Triangle’ on Thursday afternoon.

The 22-year-old’s victory behind the Trent Moffat-prepared Shadys Cullect was the seventh of her career in the sulky.

She previously tasted success around the Redcliffe circuit with Overthemoon – who is trained by her father Andrew – back in late February of last year.

Ison previously lived in Queensland but over the last couple of months has returned to NSW and has been driving at tracks such as Tamworth and Newcastle.

Shadys Cullect has struck form in recent times, scoring for the second consecutive week around the Peninsula-based track.

“It was great to drive a winner for Trent, he has always been a good friend of mine,” Ison said.

“It was really good I could get it done for him.”

Beginning from an inside draw, Ison and race favourite Shadys Cullect were able to hold the lead throughout to score by two metres.

The voice of harness racing in Queensland Chris Barsby praised the drive from Ison in the call.

“It was a perfectly executed front-running drive there,” Barsby said.

“They went at a very steady tempo.”

Shadys Cullect has become a Redcliffe specialist, winning all of her eight career races at the venue, for trainer and breeder Moffat.

“She used to give me a hand and I knew she was coming up so I thought I would give her a drive,” Moffat said about Ison.

Since relocating back to NSW, Ison has been working and driving for her brother Tom.

She collected a winner at Tamworth behind Stilton for trainer Dwayne Brown earlier this month.

“We have lots of horses in work,” she said.

“I had a winner last Thursday at Tamworth for a different trainer so that was good.”

It was a winning double for the Moffat team at Redcliffe on Thursday as stable mate Headwin also won the prize.