Jodi is a pearl at the reins

GIPPSLAND-raised trotting driver Jodi Quinlan has been named winner of the prestigious 2006 Pearl Kelly Award.
The 31-year-old was presented with the Waterford Crystal trophy at a gala dinner at Moonee Valley Racecourse last Thursday.
She joins past winners, which include her aunt Debbie, who won the award in 2004.
The Pearl Kelly Award was developed by the Angelique Club as a means of recognising the contribution of women in harness racing.
It is named in honour of one of the pioneers of trotting, Pearl Kelly, who was born at Kooweerup.
Quinlan has risen to dizzy heights in recent seasons and is widely recognised as one of Victoria’s premier drivers.
She has had more than 800 career successes and has driven more than 100 winners in a season on three occasions, including a personal best of 162 in the 2002-03 season.
Quinlan finished last in her first drive, behind Highland Bomber at Warragul in October 1991.
She brought up her first win at her fifth race drive, partnering Zephyr Lad to victory at Cranbourne on 1 June, 1992.
She was the 1996 Victorian Junior Driver of the Year and has won multiple driving premierships at the Warragul and Cranbourne clubs.
Quinlan has tasted Group 1 glory on five separate occasions, including a sentimental success aboard family favourite Pete’s Dream in the 2002 Ladyship Mile in Sydney.
Her career highlight was winning the 2004 Miracle Mile with Sokyola when she became just the second female in history to win the nation’s premier sprint.
Quinlan recently took the bold step of developing her own property at Parwan to cement her future in harness racing and is rapidly growing her reputation as a trainer.
She is quickly closing in on the milestone off 100 training successes.