At just 24 years of age, Junee boy and country kid Cam Hart has the world at his feet, with the talented reinsman the toast of Harness Racing today after his win in the $750,000 New Zealand Cup (3200m).
Racing at Addington on Tuesday, Hart drove for another country product in Jason Grimson and was in the gig behind Swayzee ($2.30) as the pair rolled to the front and couldn’t be headed.
In winning, Swayzee became the first Australian-trained pacer since Arden Rooney in 2015 — and only the second since My Lightning Blue in 1987 — to win New Zealand’s biggest.
“This is unbelievable. It doesn’t get any better,” Hart said in a post-race interview.
“This is just such a special race and great day, and it’s been so hard for Aussies to win … we did it.”
Hart and Grimson had added motivation to win this year’s New Zealand Cup after they ran second at their first tilt with Majestic Cruiser last year.
“We ran second with Majestic Cruiser last year, and he was middle of the pack in the betting and something like 20/1, so we weren’t going in with any great expectations,” Hart said.
“But going in with Swayzee, he was in the market, and having a real chance to contest the New Zealand Cup was exciting.”
In an exclusive, Hart spoke with NSW Country and Picnic Racing on Monday as he was preparing to board a flight to New Zealand, and a day after he won the inaugural $60,000 Lachlan Valley Cup (2520m), which highlighted Sunday’s Cowra Carnival of Cups.
Writing his name in the history books, Hart drove for Jarrod Alchin and was in the gig behind Pas Guarantee ($2.90), and it was a one-act affair, with the pair winning by 22 metres.
“It’s always a big thrill to go back to the country and get a big win,” Hart said.
“To be able to win like that and by that margin, it was a bit of a thrill, and the atmosphere was incredible.
“It was such a great day at Cowra, and you can see that Harness racing in NSW is on the way back up.
“We went through a couple of tough years, but the sport is on the way back up, and with that level of stakes on offer in the country, it’s good for everyone.”
It’s been a season like no other for Hart, who has driven a career-best 205 wins in 2023 at a stunning 21.29% strike rate.
Following his win in the New Zealand Cup, he is the only Australian driver to have surpassed the $4 million prize money barrier this year, edging out champions such as Gary Hall Jn, Nathan Dawson, Mark Pitt, and Luke McCarthy.
With just over six weeks left in the season, Hart could bring up another milestone and become one of the youngest drivers to reach 1000 career wins.
He currently sits on 981, and he knows he is closing in on the magical mark.
“This year has been incredible, and I’ve had lots of support,” Hart said.
“It’s incredible to think I’m closing in on 1000 winners; I would have been happy with 1000 wins over my whole career, but I’ve been fortunate, and I have to put much of my success down to the horses I’m getting to sit behind.”
With almost 600 wins to his credit over the past three seasons, Hart touched on what motivated him to be one of the best reinsmen in Australia.
“I didn’t really have a goal or anything to start the season, and in past seasons, when I hadn’t driven 100 or 200 (winners) or won a Group race, that’s what I aimed for, but now I’ve hit those targets, I just try and keep things ticking over,” Hart said.
“I try to get the best opportunities I can and to get a few feature wins and a couple of Group 1s is something I set out to do, but I don’t set many goals these days.”
Hart doesn’t rest on his laurels and constantly works on his craft.
“There are definitely plenty of things to work on, even the small one-percenters,” Hart said.
“Every week, I look to get better, and I’m always looking to improve.
“The minute you think you know it all is the minute you start to decline, so I’m always looking at races that didn’t go my way and working on those little things.”
With Hart destined for bigger things in the sport, ignoring his upbringing and introduction to the sport would be negligent.
Raised in Junee, Cam is the brother of talented driver Ashley Hart and son of Murrumbidgee Turf Club curator Mark Hart.
He spent a lot of time with his Uncle Trevor White, a popular Riverina harness racing identity he drove for during his first 18 months in the gig before taking his talents to town.
