Driver Jeff Taylor took home gold in the 2024 Coville Cup, hitting the board in three of his four drives in the series to take home the title Sunday, Sept. 1 at Rideau Carleton Raceway.

Established in 2007, the Coville Cup features drivers with less than 100 career victories looking to further breakthrough in the industry. Past winners of the Coville Cup include Travis Henry and Shawn Steacy who won the inaugural edition. The 2024 edition featured nine drivers competing over five races on the 11-race card. Banking 87 points across his four drives, the rookie Ontario native cruised to the title.

Taylor kicked the night off with a bang, winning the first leg in the second race aboard Hes Got A Vendetta for trainer John MacMillan while notching his first career driving victory.

"The biggest thing I'm going to take away from this night is to win with John's horse in the first leg, for all of the work he put into it, he's a champ he just keeps going." Taylor continued, "The guy gave me my first qualifying drives this year, it felt pretty cool to get over the line with his, it was fun."

Leaving from post seven, Taylor took Hes Got A Vendetta back to sixth early while Philip Reid took the field to the quarter in :28 aboard Montysgonemarble. Howies Man and driver Josh Miller took command at the half in :56.2 while Taylor started first-up from sixth. Taylor worked his way to fourth on the outside with Hes Got A Vendetta when stablemate Montysgonemarble provided cover when he pulled from the pocket to take on Howies Man at three-quarters in 1:26.

Montysgonemarble and Howies Man battled around the final turn with Hes Got A Vendetta yet to tip three-wide at the top of the stretch. Montysgonemarble put away Howies Man at the top of the lane when Hes Got A Vendetta found his best stride for Taylor, kicking home in :30 to nail his stablemate by a nose in 1:56.2. Reid and Montysgonemarble were second, with The Colt and Sebastien Turenne finishing third.

"I'd seen a lot of guys leaving hard early and figured if I could get moving a little bit early after the quarter and maybe catch some cover, it worked out," Taylor said afterwards. "That horse kicked home real well, he tries hard and he was just a pleasure to drive."

Taylor didn't have a drive in the second race of the series which saw Josh Miller earn the win in 1:55.3 aboard Wellworththewait for trainer Brian Scott.

Back in action in leg three, Taylor hopped in the bike for trainer Karol Ann Malo-Tetreault aboard Lucky Leonard to the tune of a third place effort to bank 12 more points. After securing the pocket trip throughout, Lucky Leonord was out-kicked in the lane by Realrubies At Play and driver Michel Lagace who won in 1:54.1, while pace-setter Nosportpunintended and Michael Armstrong finished second.

In round four, Taylor and Getyourlicenseliam just missed in yet another thriller. With the entire field finishing within three parts of a length of each other, Getyourlicenseliam sat third throughout before taking aim up the passing lane turning for home. Getyourlicenseliam responded gamely to Taylor urging, shooting up the inside before just getting caught on the wire by Irresistible and driver Sebastien Turenne who swept the entire field in the lane to get up for the victory in 1:55.1 for trainer Mandy Archer.

Hampered by broken equipment in the fifth and final Coville race on the card, Taylor guided Giddy Up Max to a sixth place effort, while Claude Larose led gate to wire in 1:56 aboard the Mandy Archer trained Beef N Cheddar.

"I knew it was going to be tough (going into the last leg), they were close finishes all night so it could have gone any way really," Taylor said. "The horse felt good in the race, they were going pretty hot fractions up front again and I just ran into a broken equipment issue, but the cards fell in my favor in the end."

The 87 points earned prior to the finale proved to be enough for Taylor to earn the title. Josh Miller finished second with 68 points, while the leg five win was enough for Claude Larose to snag the final podium spot with 63 points.

"I've got to watch the Coville Cup for a lot of years as a bystander on the sidelines and it's always interesting to watch, you root for guys and you want to see the guys who don't get as many drives as some guys get out there and show what they can do." Talyor continued, "John, Gordon, Julie, everybody in the NCRHHA did a great job."

Also featured on the Sunday card was a $10,000 Preferred Pace which saw The Light Speed return to the winner's circle with his usual front-end tactics. The Light Speed and driver Guy Gagnon took the field to the quarter in :27 before briefly relinquishing the lead to last week's winner, Early Action (Ryan Guy). The Light Speed popped pocket before taking command once more at the half in :55.3. Revolt (Pascal Berube) took The Light Speed to task first-over at three-quarters in a blistering 1:23.2 before The Light Speed rebuffed the challenge late to win by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:52. Revolt held for place, Early Action was third.

Gagnon trains The Light Speed who has won half of his 22 outings this season for owner Michel Nolette. Having earned $74,160 on the year, the six-year-old gelded son of Moon Beam-Jayma pushed his career earnings beyond $400,000 with the win.

The win was one of two for Gagnon both on the driving and training side of things for the evening.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, please click the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada; photo, from left to right: Darrell Coville, Jeff Taylor and John MacMillan)