After completing the mandatory 25 test drives, the 19-year-old got his driver’s license last Tuesday and was able to get straight into action at Alexandra Park three days later.
Fittingly, his first ride was for David and Clare McGowan.
“They have been my supporters for a long time,” says Gregory, “Dave helped me through Kidz Kartz.”
The association originated through a family connection.
“Dad had a five percent stake in a racehorse with Dave about 10 or 12 years ago,” says Gregory, “and that’s how I got into it.”
Gregory was ‘eight or nine’ at the time.
His Kidz Kartz achievements included a second-place finish in a New Zealand Cup. He also won the Franklin Cup and represented New Zealand across the Tasman.
“I left school at 16 and went to work for Ray Green for a year before joining Bernie and Michelle,” he says.
He still works for the Hackett-Wallis barn today.
Along the way he was the North Island’s Most Promising Cadet in 2024 and a finalist for NZ Stablehand of the Year in 2025.
On Friday he rode I’ll Call You in the Border Fencing Services Metro Trotters (Heat 4). He started safely and was on the road early before galloping halfway through the race. He then rode well to eighth place, just ahead of Dave McGowan and Royal Secret.
It was a starting point for Gregory – the first ride, he hopes, of many.
“That’s the goal.”
Through Dave Di Sommafor Harness News Desk
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