With the Team Teal campaign in full swing it is worth noting the leading junior drivers at Northam this season are both women. Emily Suvaljko heads the list with two winners, three seconds and two thirds (16 points) from Deni Roberts with two winners, one second and four thirds (14 points).
Team Teal is run throughout Australia and New Zealand for six weeks starting February 1, with women drivers wearing the teal coloured driving pants. For each female driver who wins during the period $200 is donated with the goal this year of raising $250,000 for research into women’s cancer research. Nationally an amount of $185,000 was raised last year.
PG Norrish Memorial on Saturday at Burwood Park
This Saturday night the Northam Harness Racing Club will honour the man credited with the idea of forming a trotting club in Northam - Percy Norrish.
It was 65 years ago in January 1954 that the Northam Trotting Club was formed and although the name has been changed to the Northam Harness Racing Club the spirit that saw the club formed is still alive today. In July 1954, at the Northam Trotting Club’s Annual General Meeting, the president advised members that the Northam Council would be calling tenders for the works required to convert Burwood Park into a trotting track. Percy Norrish took over the presidency of the Club not long after that AGM and he was to remain in the chair for some 10 years. Percy Norrish and his fellow volunteers literally built the Northam Trotting Club from the ground up through seemingly endless busy bees and his contribution to the Club was later recognised with Life Membership.
Keep an eye on these drivers. While Chris Voak with 11 winners has driven three more winners this season at Northam than Shannon Suvaljko, Aldo Cortopassi and Mark Reed (all with eight winners at Burwood Park) punters would be well advised to keep an eye on the horses being driven by Ryan Warwick this weekend. Warwick has had 20 drives at Northam this season for six winners, two seconds and three thirds. Interestingly Kyle Harper has had 17 placegetters at Northam this season but only the one winner – mind you it was a pretty handy winner – Major Rush in the Northam Cup at the club’s last meeting.
Leading pacer at Northam gets tighter
With his win in the Village Kid Sprint at the club’s last meeting on February 2 the Ray Williams trained and locally owned Dreamy Nights has joined the Mike Reed trained Valbonne in the battle to be the leading pacer at Northam this season. Both horses are unbeaten in four starts at the track this season and are just four points clear of the Craig Abercromby trained Marquisard which is unbeaten in three runs at Northam this season.