Crystal Hackett's treble at Alexandra Park - "so satisfying"

By Michael Guerin

Young driving star Crystal Hackett went within a nose of a career-best haul at Alexandra Park on Friday night but she still left the track beaming.

The 22-year-old reined three winners in Kenny Hill, Viscount Mackendon and Illicit Love, all trained by her parents Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett, and it was so nearly four as she was beaten a nose on another stablemate Royal Petite.

“I have had a four-win bag at Cambridge and Manawatu and I would have loved to have got one here, especially all for Mum and Dad,” says Hackett.

“But to win three for them and their owners and have a night like that here is so satisfying.”

Hackett is closing in on 200 career wins and loved the feel both Viscount Mackendon and even more so Illicit Love gave her winning on Friday.

“Viscount Mackendon has improved so much this campaign,” she explains.

“He has great manners and is stronger and he will work his way through to open class.”

But Illicit Love might rush through the grades judging by the way he came from the second line to trot 2:45.6 for 2200m mobile and beat the older trotters in the second last race of the night.
 
“He is a really good horse,” says Hackett.

“He is so laid back and he gives you nothing in the warm up and is too casual for his own good.

“But when you pull out on him in a race it is a very cool feeling, he has that real speed.

“He is a horse I can see getting to the open grades relatively quickly and he is very exciting.”

Hackett is driving with extreme confidence, a swagger she wasn’t wearing quite so effortlessly a few months ago when she made the decision to leave the Barry Purdon/Scott Phelan stable to go work for her now employer Matty White.

“I was a really tough decision not just because of the great experience I had gained there and the opportunities but I was worried about people talking about me, saying why would you leave one of the country’s great stables?

“But the time was right for me to try something new and I have loved the new environment.

“I have even had people say that to me at the track ‘how come you are driving so well’ and I just feel confident because I am happy and really enjoying work.

“And of course it helps when you get on some really nice horses.”

Hackett wasn’t the only winner on Friday working at White’s property as it is also the new home of American Me, who made it back to back wins coming from a 30m handicap pace in the last race.

The nine-year-old got a nice drag into the race to be three back on the outer at the 1000m mark but still sprinted like a horse half his age to suggest his connections should be shelving any retirement plans, especially with so many of the better class races at Alexandra Park in the spring being standing starts.

Earlier in the night War Party made it two wins from three starts and looks a Derby horse in the making, Ride The Waves was excellent winning her third from four in the Silk Road heat and Donegal Hill looks a trotter on the up after leaving maidens.