Ken Casellas
Former prominent trainer-reinsman Kristian Hawkins will return to harness racing after a six-year absence when he starts Soho Confidential and Jamie Kim at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The 46-year-old Hawkins relinquished his licence to train and drive in March 2020 when he was appointed by RWWA as a cadet harness racing steward, and after a period in that job he went to work in the north of the State.
He was a successful jockey, with one of his major successes being with Corporate Bruce in the 2002 Hannans Handicap. In harness racing he has driven 143 winners and trained 146 winners, with his major success being in the 2015 Kalgoorlie Cup when he drove Danieljohn to victory.
His most recent winner was when he trained and drove Runaway Three to score a half-head win over Soho Thunderstruck in a 2536m metro-class event at Gloucester Park on December 23, 2019, three nights after he prepared The Trilogy to win a 2536m city-class event with Dylan Egerton-Green in the sulky.
At the height of his career, he was the trainer of nine runners at a city-class meeting at Gloucester Park on November 2, 2018.
Egerton-Green drove Dontstopbelievin to two city-class wins for Hawkins in October 2018, including the group 3 Preux Chevalier final. Egerton-Green will renew his association with Hawkins when he drives Jamie Kim, a seven-year-old with a losing sequence of 19, in the Trotsynd Shares Available Now Pace on Friday night.
Jamie Kim has raced 134 times for nine wins, 24 placings and $89,994 in stakes. Hawkins is the seventh trainer to have prepared Jamie Kim for racing, and the old gelding who possesses excellent gate speed, is capable of a forward showing against moderate opposition.
Six-year-old Art Major horse Soho Confidential, bred and owned by Rob Watson, has had 62 starts for trainer Glenn Elliott for seven wins and 14 placings. He is awkwardly drawn at barrier five in the Trotsynd Join The Fun Pace over 2130m and will be driven by Gary Hall Jnr at his first appearance for eight months.
He has had a spell since he worked hard in the breeze and finished second to Take A Hike over 2130m on September 2 last year.