Panella’s fabulous four at Tamworth

IT was a day to remember for exciting young driver Grace Panella at Tamworth yesterday.
“That is the most winners I have driven at a meeting,” grinned Panella as she was leaving the track with four winning drives in the bag.
Panella, a Hunter Valley reinswoman, only began her career in harness racing in 2020 and the now 19-year-old had achieved an extraordinary milestone in her fledgling career.
“I can’t even describe the feeling of driving four winners on the program – it doesn’t feel real at all – it is more like unreal,” said Panella.
The wins came with I’m Quick As Fire and Dance With Sue for her “boss” Clayton Harmey along with I Am The Joker for Gunnedah trainer Rob Durrant and Our Bushwacker for the Stacie Elliott stables.
Panella summed up the win of I’m Quick As Fire as “probably her best win on the day”.
“It was a tough effort by the horse considering he galloped out and raced three wide from the bell,” said Panella.
“He has a few tricks up his sleeve, especially when scoring up.
“But he is a very talented horse and proved that today racing three wide before racing away in the home straight, which was a pretty good effort.”
I’m Quick As Fire – a seven-year-old Bettors Delight-Queen Of Fire gelding had an eventual 3.3 metre win over $2.30 race favourite Military Man (Michael Formosa) with Paratrouper (Jamie Donovan) 2.5 metres away third in taking out the Hygain Micrspeed Pace (1980m).
Panella has secured the first win for the Cayton Harmey stables earlier in the meeting with Dance With Sue, who won the Nurtien Equine Pace (1609m) by three metres from A Paradigm Shift (Bevan Pringle) with Lifes A Jungle (Brad Elder) 1.2m away third in a 1.58.1 mile rate.
Harmey trained three winners at the meeting with Chevrons Bypass winning the Multiquip Hatchery Pace (1609m) by 7.7 metres over Our Roys Dream (Sam Ison) with Sals Glee (Jemma Coney) a half head away third.
Panella also secured a win behind I Am The Joker, raced by Gunnedah harness identities Rob and Nerilee Durrant.
I Am The Joker paid $23 for the win after scoring by half a neck over Bat Matson (Michael Formosa) with To Infinitynbeyond (Rodney Atkins) 3.5m away third.
After racing three back on the inside marker pegs with Chatherup (Blake Hughes) leading the field, Panella switched I Am The Joker three wide on the final turn to come away for the victory.
“I was running over the top of them and I just needed some clean air and when I did, he let down really well,” said Panella.
“No one deserves the win more than Rob and Nerilee – you can only hope more winners come their way.”
At start No. 254 Our Bushwacker produced his 20th career win under the guidance of Panella.
“He hit the line well,” she said of the Stacie Elliott-trained $2.10 favourite.
“I’ve certainly had a super day,” said Panella who is having her best season yet with 32 winners, so far, and hopefully many more to come.
  – JULIE MAUGHAN