After placing second in the Metro Final of the Regional Championships on May 22, Brad Hewitt was determined to go one better last weekend.
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And the Goulburn-based harness racing talent did so in spectacular fashion, to take out first place in the State Final in the last of three race wins on Saturday night.
In both Regional Championships finals, Hewitt drove Send It, a horse he trains and which is co-owned by Jarrod Croker, Codie Medway, Milly Hewitt, and Blake Hewitt. Saturday's result marks the first Group One win for the group.
The five-year-old gelding's form has been strong in recent months, and Hewitt was "as confident as you can be" ahead of the final race.
"I was real confident he could win," he said. "He got beat in the other $100,000 last week, and then he drew well again last night which helped his chances.
"Any race in general, you never take for granted. $100,000 races are hard to come by, they don't come along every day."
Good luck is a part of almost every successful sporting endeavour, but it was a stroke of ill fortune which actually ended up benefiting Hewitt and Send It before Saturday night's race had even started.
On April 4, the pair took part in the Riverina Championship in Wagga Wagga. Send It placed fourth by a hair, which was obviously disappointing for Hewitt at the time.
However, due to the ratings system used in harness racing, a top-three placing in that Group One race would have lifted Send It's score to over 70, thereby making him ineligible to run on the weekend.
"As soon as he knew he was going to be able to make it, we knew the State Final would be a good race for him," Hewitt said.
"He's a good horse too, not run of the mill - he's top level.
"We were just lucky. Had he placed in that race last month, he wouldn't have been able to enter."
Having made their way to the State Final in Menangle on Saturday, Hewitt and Send It's road to first place was far from simple.
The 30-year-old first drove Rockin Marty, trained by his father, David Hewitt, to victory in the second race of the night. He then drove Kash Us Back, a product of his cousin, Gemma Hewitt, to a win in the State Consolation.
However, that second victory was held up by allegations of interference in the last 50 metres from another driver, which meant David had to warm Send It up while Brad was busy in the Stewards' Room.
The protest was soon dismissed, and Hewitt's second win of the night allowed to stand, as he then took to the track for the State Final.
Starting from barrier three, Send It worked forward to find the lead. Though Hewitt later admitted that the gelding "actually doesn't race that well in front", the pair managed to maintain the distance they had established, and by a margin of just over one length, clutched the win.
"It was more of a relief than anything," Hewitt said.
"I was confident going into last week [at the Metro Final] and we beat the two favourites, but he got pipped on the post by a horse that had a dream run.
"To do it last night was a relief, and he deserves it because he's such a tough little horse."
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