The inaugural Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship, a two-day slot racing series featuring an international field of drivers including top North American-based reinsmen Dexter Dunn and Yannick Gingras, will kick off this Friday, Feb. 21 at The Creek, Albion Park in Brisbane, Australia.
The Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship will feature 10 drivers competing in a 20-race series over two nights on Feb. 21-22, with more than $250,000 AUD in prize money offered. The top three finishers will be awarded $100,000 AUD, $50,000 AUD and $35,000 AUD, respectively, with the other slot holders receiving $5,000 AUD each. Slot holders selected their driver ahead of the competition as well as the horses they will drive in a snakehead draft conducted on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
After Wednesday's draft, leading Queensland driver Nathan Dawson was tabbed as the slight favourite ahead of Dunn leading into the Ultimate Driver Championship. The 29-year-old driver will be competing in the slot owned by a group of 22 trainers, owners, racing enthusiasts and bettors led by harness form analyst Ryan Spice. The group is named the First Over Crush Syndicate as a nod to the voice of Queensland harness racing, Chris Barsby, and his popular phrase.
An Albion Park regular, Dawson has driven more than 200 winners in each of the past five years, with more than 400 winners in 2023 when he became just the second reinsman in Australia to surpass that mark.
“Obviously it is the first one of its kind and to be selected for a slot, it is a big deal and something to be proud of. Hopefully, we can bring home the money," said Dawson. “It is one of the biggest things that us Queensland drivers will have over the rest of the field – knowing the horses – we know them inside and out and what suits them best. I think it is quite a big advantage that we have.”
Dawson noted that Dunn and Gingras are two reinsmen he is looking forward to competing against in the challenge.
“I think different drivers from all around the world, getting together to compete against each other in 10 different races over two days, that will be exciting,” he said. “I am looking forward to seeing how everyone competes against each other. Some of the drivers here in Queensland, we race day-in-day-out, so I am looking forward to taking on the ones from overseas that you watch and win all the big races over there. The ones from America are the ones I am most keen to see here at Albion Park."
The Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship drivers (with slot holders) are listed below:
- Carter Dalgety (N40 Racing / Boys Get Paid Syndicate)
- Nathan Dawson (First Over Crush Syndicate)
- Dexter Dunn (Ladbrokes)
- Angus Garrard (SEN, Garrards and 1Equine Syndicate)
- Kate Gath (Gath Racing Group Supporting Team Teal)
- Yannick Gingras (ABR/Summit Bloodstock/Ron Burke/Weaver Bruscemi Syndicate)
- Bjorn Goop (Tumby Park Syndicate)
- Gary Hall Jr. (Gloucester Park Gurus)
- Brad Hewitt (Triple Play Syndicate)
- Peter McMullen (The Unharnessed Hawks Syndicate)
Click on the following links to view entries for the Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Championship races on Friday and Saturday.
(With files from Australian Harness Racing)