'It's been a long time coming': Horan enjoys breakthrough at drive 69

Horan got on the board at his 69^th career drive when he steered Carmen On Bling to victory at Riverina Paceway on Tuesday night.

The 24-year-old was pleased to get the monkey off his back.

"Finally," Horan said.

"It was great. It's been a long time coming.

"To do it on that horse, I got beat on him last year and lost the drive because I got suspended so I couldn't drive him when he won his first race but to get back on him and win I was over the moon."

The win was a special one but meant even more to achieve the feat on Carmen On Bling.

He helped break in the horse as a yearling and it is trained and raced by Jane and Ray Walker, along with Mick Cahill.

"I helped Ray break the horse in when the owner, Mick Cahill, brought him from the Bathurst yearling sales," Horan recalled.

"To do it in Ray's colours meant the world to me. Ray and Jane are like family to me.

"Thanks to Mick Cahill also for trusting us with the horse and me with the driving."

Horan, a diesel mechanic by trade, loves harness racing.

He works part-time for the Walkers and has followed his family into the sport.

"I got suspended from school and it was either stay at home and do my homework or go to the stables and I've been there ever since," Horan said.

"If I could do it every day I would."

Carmen On Bling ($5.00) took out the NR50 Pace (1740m) by 1.7 metres in a mile rate of 1:56.3.

Horan went into the race with some confidence.

"I did actually. He's been flying but he's been drawing bad," he said.

"I thought last week he went super and he was second favourite (on Tuesday), I was pretty confident, I just didn't know where we were going to end up (in the run) but I was rapt."

Horan admitted he thought the race was his rounding the final bend.

"Probably just before I pulled out. I looked over my shoulder and saw nothing was really coming quickly and we were travelling," he said.

"The death horse and the leader they were both under the bat so I thought we're home here."

Horan waited until after the line to give a victory salute.

"I done it about 30 metres over the line because I wanted to make sure I actually did win," he said.

Horan will now set his sights on building his winning tally. He reckons he should have made it two from two on the night.

"I probably should have drove a double, I drove Blazing in the second last, I drove her terrible," he said.

"I should have stayed on the fence and went up the sprint lane but I pulled out because she was travelling and had nowhere to go.

"She was bolting over the line. I said to Ray after the race, I drove her terrible.

"But hopefully drive a few more winners, hopefully the next one doesn't take as long."

Meantime driving honours on the night went to Blake Micallef with a treble. He enjoyed wins on Signor Jujon ($1.90), Moreartsthanclass ($31) and Can Do Magic ($3.30).

Jack Painting enjoyed a training-driving double with Escalera ($1.20) and Real Image ($1.40).