The junior drivers are really hitting their strides and Sara Grout is no exception, with the 23-year-old claiming her maiden win on Friday night at Busselton.
The elusive first win is always one to remember, but for Grout, her first win was made that little bit more special with Follow My Stride owned by the young reinswoman.
“I didn’t really believe it was happening; I was just waiting for something to come up the inside.
“But (it was) so amazing, especially on my own pony.”
Grout, who is the third generation to win at Busselton follows in the footsteps of her grandfather Tom White and aunty Maryann White who both drove winners at the tight circuit.
Busselton holds plenty of memories for the White family, with Maryann White driving her first double down at the seasonal track.
Grout, who made her debut in 2024 has had just 32 drives so far, but horses have always been in her blood.
“I was only young when he passed (Tom White) but I followed along with one of my aunties, Maryann White, who got me started un the trots and I found the love for it from there.”
Sara Grout made her way to the stables of Dylan Egerton-Green in 2021 and has been there ever since, with Egerton-Green facilitating the transaction that led to Follow My Stride becoming her very own schoolmaster, taking her through trials in late 2023 and 2024.
It really was a week for junior drivers, with Abbey Vidovich claiming the eighth event at Pinjarra on Monday, January 13.
Shes A Lucky Penny was three wide throughout the 1177m lightning lap, to claim the sprint by a half neck margin at $11 odds for the 18-year-old, bringing up her fifth win in the cart.
On the same day, the first of the Novice Driver Concession Series races at Pinjarra were underway, with Joseph Suvaljko claiming top points with his win on Alta King.
After blowing the start, Alta King galloped his way to the rear of the field, but Suvaljko put the four-year-old back into the race to settle in the breeze, proving too good for them when winning the penalty free event in 2:2:7 over the 2185m trip.
It may have been two years between drinks, but Tom Bryant was back in the winners’ circle on Tuesday, January 14 when he drove Gee Smith to perfection to take out race three on the card.
Bryant was unlucky the day before, going down by just a half neck margin in the novice driver concession series when he flashed home on Twoheartonediamond at $151 odds.
Joseph Suvaljko drove a treble at Busselton on Friday night when he piloted Cheap Thrillz. Extinction and The Whizzer to victory on the night.
Liam Elliot drove a double on Saturday night at Albany, including the feature of the night the 2025 Wellington & Reeves Albany Cup on the Ryan Bell trained Hillview Bondi.
Elliot made his way around to the breeze to win by a 2.5m margin, coming in close to the 1:58:0 track record for the 2690m trip when the seven-year-old stopped the clock in a winning mile rate of 1:58:6.
Elliot won earlier in the night on board the Bianca Ashcroft trained Capture The Moment, with the three-year-old breaking her maiden status.
Ashleigh Paikos