Kootingal's Mackayla Mitchell has fallen in love with harness racing so much that she will make her debut as a reinswoman on Thursday in the opening event at Tamworth.
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It has been a natural progression in the sport for Mitchell, who took the first step in gaining her trainer's licence in November last year, before undertaking 20 trial drives to gain her reinswoman's licence.
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Mitchell will pilot her own pacer, Johnrod, in the opening event at Tamworth, with the Sportswriter gelding set for his 26th career start - with only the one win, in June at Canberra.
"At least I am getting the drive out of the way early," said the 24-year-old who has already trained a winner in her short career. "I just hope to get around safe for this first drive."
If Mitchell has beginner's luck and comes up with a win, she will be "chucking a party".
Her sole win as a trainer was with Berling.
"The training side of things started just out of interest," she said.
"At that stage I had no interest in being a driver.
"But I did some trackwork with [Kootingal trainer and reinswoman] Sarah Rushbrook and fell in love with it all at my first drive.
"I decided then to push on to get my [drivers] licence."
It has been a team effort around the stables at Paceway Tamworth, where Mitchell is based, to get her this far in the sport.
"My family has owned horses for about 10 years now," she said.
"And I did a little time with Tamworth trainers Brendan James and Sam Ison before I got my trainer's licence and then moved over to Ernie Mabbott."
"They have all been good mentors - everyone helps me out with tips and advice. It's a good place to be at the track.
"Harness racing is one of those sports that it doesn't matter who you go to for advice, they are happy to part with their wisdom."
Mitchell, an electrician, will make her driving debut in a new set of silks that she designed herself - royal blue with a red horseshoe on the body, royal blue sleeves and red armbands.
