Jemma Coney's ready to head into the big Carnival of Cups meeting being hosted by the Tamworth Harness Racing Club on Friday night.
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The $40,000 (Group 3) Multiquip Golden Guitar Final is the feature race on the program with this year seeing the 38th running of the prestigious race.
Coney has drawn the one barrier with the Ty Robson-trained Rocknroll Max.
"I am a bit excited to be in the race as it is a feature race on my home track," Coney said.
Contesting her second season of competition on the paceway, the 19-year-old has achieved 65 winning drives to date, and is about to make her Golden Guitar Final debut.
"He went well last week - he copped a bit of midrace pressure but he has got the good draw again this week," Coney said of Rocknroll Max who also had the one barrier in his heat.
"It was the horses first run for a month so he should strip fitter for the final.
"Ty [Robson] has been loyal to me giving me the drives with the horse so I am grateful."
Coney and Rocknroll Max have combined on six occasions on the paceway with the gelding beaten 5.6 metres in the Multiquip Transport Golden Guitar first heat by the Michael Formosa-trained and driven Ultimate Force.
The 1980-metre heat was conducted in a mile rate of 1.57.9 with Rocknroll Max leading the field until Ultimate Force gained a split on the final turn into the home straight.
"The horse on his back [Ultimate Force] had the sweet sit but Ty was happy with the run," Coney said.
After gazing though the form guide, Coney suggests the speed will be on from the outset in the final.
The local chances in the race will come from the Dean Chapple-trained Asterism and Overthemoon from the Andy Ison stables while Tony Missen is awaiting his chance for a run after Dubrobbin scored the first emergency with the remainder of the field comprising of Hunter Valley and Sydney horses.
"The first three horses have all got good gate speed so my horse will benefit from that," Coney said.
"It is a nice field and all the horses on the back row go well. My horse has led pretty easy from the one barrier before."
Coney also views the Golden Guitar Final as a race of "tactics".
"I think the winner will come from which ever driver adopts the smartest tactics in the race," she said.
And how will Coney feel if she is the first to greet the judge in the final.
"I never thought I would be driving in a Golden Guitar Final but it would be nice to win it - I think it would be amazing," she said.
Coney will be joined by another 19-year-old female in the race, Grace Panella, who will take the drive behind the Clayton Harmey-trained Johnson Step from the eight barrier. It is also her debut in the final.
Harmey trained the winner of the 2020 running of the Golden Guitar Final with Wet My Whistle while Grace Panella has a connection with her sister Lauren Tritton driving Mach Beauty to victory in the time-honoured feature race back in 2013.
Coney has six drives on the program including Roger That in the $10,000 KTR Standardbred Stud Dash For Cash trained by her father Greg and Mighty Flying Deal for the Richard Williams stables in the $12,000 Garrard's Tamworth City Cup.
