The 2019 Avon Descent will get under way at 8am on Saturday, August 3 when the first power boats will leave on a 52 kilometre trip down the Avon River for the overnight stay in Toodyay.
The Northam Harness Racing Club will hold a race-meeting on Saturday night at Burwood Park overlooking the Avon River for those sports fans not wanting to brave the elements at a campsite along the river.
Mount Helena trainer Ray Williams has proven to be the trainer to follow at Northam this season and his 13 starters at Northam have provided seven winners, three seconds and one third placing for a strike rate of 0.6923. Ray's most prolific winner at Northam this season has been the Northam owned Dreamy Nights which has won six of its seven starts at Burwood Park and leads the Mike Reed trained Valbonne in the Leading Northam Pacer Award by four points.
Earlier this season Dreamy Nights won the Village Kid Sprint at Northam and when he won on June 1 he brought up Ray William's 50th training win at Burwood Park. Mike Reed has had an outstanding season at Northam and his 22 starters have won 12 races and with a further six minor placings he is tied with Matthew Scott (62 starters for 11 winners) as the leading trainer at Northam. Both have a total of 58 points which are awarded on the basis of four points for first, two points for second and one point for third.
With just two more meetings at Burwood Park this season after Saturday night's racing the battle for the leading trainer will be a highlight. Similarly the Leading Driver Award is tight with Shannon Suvaljko leading on 109 points and holding a six point buffer over Chris Voak (103) who is just two points clear of Aldo Cortopassi (101) in third place. In the Club's Leading Junior Driver Award Deni Roberts leads with 51 points from Emily Suvaljko with 50 points.
