By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk
In a wide open race, Sam Thornley reckons he’s a chance of securing back-to-back wins in the coveted Darren DeFilippi Memorial Junior Drivers’ race at Addington tonight.
A capacity field of trotters will line up in the 2600m event, with Thornley’s drive Dark Ghana coming in for a lot of support, after opening at $15. It has been backed into $7.50, just behind Luvavici, KD Royalty and Paige, all at $7.
“It seems wide open and a lot of them have had bad luck in recent races so I couldn’t really pick a winner,” says Thornley.
This will be just Dark Ghana’s fourth start. The five-year-old Le Pres gelding won impressively on debut for trainer Chris Morrison at Ashburton and followed that up with two close-up performances, running on well to finish fifth and a fourth at Addington.
“I’ve never driven the horse before,” says Thornley, “but he came home good on the clock the other day so should be a chance.”
Our Pinocchio ($9), Majesdix ($9), and Zoltan Boscik ($9.50) are also favoured in the market.
An accomplished junior driver, Darren DeFilippi died at just 19 in a motor accident coming home from the Geraldine races in 1995.
“People say how he was such a good fella and so talented,” says Thornley.
Darren’s parents Colin and Julie DeFilippi traditionally hand out the Darren De Filippi Memorial Junior Drivers Challenge Trophy to the winning driver.
Last year Thornley won it for the first time with the Robbie Holmes-trained Light Of Da Moon.
“It would be great to win it again,” says Thornley, “and it’s great to have a drive in it, with a horse that is a chance.”
Tonight will see the 29th running of the race. Matty Williamson is the only driver to have won it three times, while Gavin Smith, Mark Hurrell, and Sarah O’Reilly have all won it twice.
Thornley is hoping to join that list at 6.14 tonight.
