Bendemeer trainer-driver Len Clement is on the way to ticking an item off his bucket list.
The 58-year-old wants to drive at every track in NSW and Wagga is his fifth stop.
Looking to experience all that harness racing has to offer across the state, Clement has packed up his wife, Christine, and their horse, dog and cat and hit the road.
Living out of his horse float, which gets converted to suit life on the road at each stop, Clement has mapped out a programme for Lifeslittlesecret.
The mare has won five races but her last success was two years ago.
Since then she’s spent 14 months away from the track when he decided to retire from the sport after four decades of involvement.
However he’s back in the game and looking for a new taste at the different venues.
“I had this thing, a long time ago, that I wanted to drive on every track in NSW,” Clement said.
“I thought it would be something different.”
Clement has already raced at Dubbo, Parkes, Eugowra and Young with Lifeslittlesecret and racing at Wagga is next on the schedule.
However he’s hit a snag with the eight-year-old mare drawn as the first emergency in the Phil Smith Builder Pace (2165m) on Saturday night.
A sixth at Young is the mare’s best result on the tour but with a tight itinerary, Clement is hoping a horse will be scratched and he won’t have to make a return trip to Wagga months down the track.
“He are on a pretty tough itinerary because of the tracks that race twice a year,” he said.
“I was looking to see what I can push around to try and fit in something but it might be late February or March.”
After being on the road for five weeks, the pair stayed in Eugowra for a fortnight and the Canola Cup raceday experience is one Clement won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
“In 40 years of racing it was probably the best meeting I’ve been to,” he said.
“They did such a wonderful job with the atmosphere and the whole thing.
“For a place with no people, where they race twice a year, it was just super.”
Next stop is Leeton before heading to Griffith, Blayney, Junee and Albury.
Racing on every track may not be the end of the Clements’ harness racing tour.
Christine working on ways for expand the trip across the country but she hasn’t quite convinced her husband yet.
