AMY Diebert had a night to remember at Leeton on Tuesday.
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The 21-year-old brought up her first win in just her second race meeting after combining with grandfather Norm Diebert Snr to win with Schiavone.
Schiavone put in a big display after coming from the rear of the field to win by 3.9 metres.
It had been almost a month since Diebert had her first drive on the mare.
She was thrilled to get her first win in front of plenty of family and friends on her hometrack.
"It was definitely a good feeling, one to chase again that's for sure," Diebert said.
"I had a few family members there that makes it all the more special."
Born into a strong harness racing family, the daughter of trainer-driver Mal Diebert and his wife Nicole, a former secretary of Leeton, it wasn't until COVID that Diebert started to take up driving.
"We grew up doing the mini trotters and also rode our ponies and went into the riding side of it a bit more but it wasn't COVID happened and I was out of a job for a while that I started going out to help dad and it just took off from there," Diebert said.
She joins a number of her cousins in the driving ranks including group one winners Mark Pitt and Paul Diebert.
It was a night of firsts with West Wyalong trainer Ellise Apolony bringing up her first win with Napoli Nights.
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TOUGH Love has shown she's the best three-year-old trotting filly with her win in the NSW Oaks on Saturday night and now she takes on the boys at group one level.
Coming off her biggest win yet for former Temora horseman Rickie Alchin, Tough Love has drawn barrier seven in the NSW Trotters Derby at Menangle on Saturday night.
There is plenty of Riverina interest at Menangle on Saturday night including Ellen Bartley's Miss Chantilly in the group one Easter Egg.
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HARNESS Racing NSW are set to inject $15 million into the industry from July 1.
Prizemoney for A Category meetings will increase to $9,792 with metropolitan meetings will start at a minimum of $20,000 per race.
Breeders are set for a boost with a number of extra incentives on the way.
Owners of broodmares in NSW will receive $250 on a 42-day pregnancy test, $1000 for the registration of a live foal and an extra $500 for foals by stallion that have been accepted into the new Breed NSW scheme.
"This is a significant announcement for the industry in our state with HRNSW further increasing the levels of prizemoney available but at the same time creating a scheme to sustain the industry through breeding," HRNSW chief executive John Dumesny said.
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RIVERINA Paceway is in for another busy period.
Wagga will hold the next three meetings in the region starting with the second round of Regional Championships heats on Friday.
Two heats have been assembled with the first of nine races at 12.17pm.
Wagga then races on Tuesday and the following Friday.