Queensland will spare no ammunition in its quest to re-claim the Australian Drivers Championship for the first time since 2015, nominating its top guns to don the maroon in Hobart, on October 28.
The best two drivers from each state across Australia will head to the ‘Apple Isle’ to battle it for the crown of Australia’s champion reinsperson for 2017, with Shane Graham and Grant Dixon getting the nod to represent Queensland.
Racing Queensland will present the pair with their silks at the 2017 Queensland Harness Awards at Moda Portside (Hamilton) on Sunday, October 15.
Graham heads to the series fresh off a tilt in the World Drivers Championships in Canada, where he managed to win a race.
His season highlights include feature race wins aboard Avonnova in the G2 Gold Coast Cup and the Listed Lucky Creed, and Clintal Do in the G2 QBRED Triad 3YO Colts and Geldings final.
In total, he finished with 186 wins for the season to claim the statewide premiership, with 56 city wins handing him the metropolitan title also.
Dixon, who was the winner of the 2015 Championship, trailed Graham by just 13 wins in the statewide drivers’ title, but romped home with the state trainers’ premiership (282 wins).
He too claimed the metropolitan title with 92 wins, more than 50 clear of Vicki Rasmussen (40).
Dixon’s major victories as a trainer included, but weren’t limited to, the QBRED TRIad 2YO Colts with Colt Thirty One, the QBRED Triad 3YO Fillies Final with Bonnie Jujon and the 4YO Championships, 4YO QBRED Triad Final and G2 Drivers Invitational with Leos Best.
