By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk
After a scarcely believable year Carter Dalgety has clinched his first Junior Drivers Premiership.
The talented 21-year-old had his 66th success this year when Evangalist cleared out to a three length win in the Irving Family Mobile Pace at Reefton yesterday.
With closest challenger Sam Thornley on 64 wins, and not driving at the last meeting of the season at Alexandra Park tonight that means Dalgety cannot be overtaken.
“It’s a huge thrill,” says Dalgety, “as a kid you want to become a driver and then to win a junior drivers’ premiership is very humbling. It’s a big goal to tick off.”
Dalgety’s year started with him being named Cadet of the Year at February’s HRNZ annual awards. Only weeks later he became the fastest junior driver ever to get to 100 career wins. He now has 145 wins overall.
Such was his success that he was a clear leader of the junior drivers’ premiership until he decided on a working holiday in the USA mid year. He was awarded a $15,000 Valachi Downs Young Scholarship and decided to spend some of the money from it to dip his toes into the North American harness racing scene. He stayed with former mentor and good mate Dexter Dunn, who has just clinched his fifth USA Driver of the Year title.
What was meant to be six weeks turned out being three months away. The trip included a win at the famed Meadowlands in New Jersey and a winning treble in Philadelphia.
When he got back in this country in late September Sam Thornley had a eight win lead at the top of the premiership.
At the time Dalgety said he was still going to give the premiership “a go” and so he did.
Despite looking beyond his reach Dalgety clawed back the lead with his four wins on Invercargill Cup day at Ascot Park on December 20 being critical.
“That day was unbelievable.”
It was his second Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup triumph, following on from Krug two years earlier. Both were trained by his parents Cran and Chrissie Dalgety.
As for the best wins of 2024?
“That Invercargill Cup win was awesome and the other highlight was in the Northern Oaks with All You Need Is Me (Alexandra Park, March 22 2024).”
But his 2024 isn’t done as yet.
He has three drives at Alexandra Park’s huge night tonight including Republican Party in the $250,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup against hotshots Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming at 7.17pm.
He will also drive Magician in Race 4, the Rogers Reunion Mobile Pace (4.30pm) and Fernetti in Race 8, the Woodlands Stud – TAB Northern Metro Final (6.48pm).
In the future Dalgety would love to emulate Sam Ottley who has just chalked up her 100th win in a season – becoming the first female driver in this country to do it in a 12 month season.
But that may have to wait.
Next year is already looking busy. He is booked for the brand new Ultimate Driver Championship at Albion Park in Brisbane in February. It will feature 10 drivers competing in a 20-race series over two nights, with Dalgety taking on the likes of Dexter Dunn, Yannick Gingras, Kate Gath and Gary Hall Jnr.
And then he will use the remaining funds from his Valachi scholarship win to go to Sweden, with his trip to Scandinavia taking in the world’s greatest trotting race, the Elitloppet.
