Scott Osmond has driven 499 winners during his 27-year career in the gig, and he hopes to bring up his 500th winner in the coming weeks.

“It would be nice to bring it up,” Osmond said.

“When I started, I never thought I’d get anywhere near that number being a hobbyist but I was lucky enough to drive for some big stables when coming through and I had some good opportunities.

“Things have settled down in recent years and I am pretty happy with the effort so far and pretty proud of it.”

These days, Osmond mainly drives at his home track in Canberra and travels around with his team, often linking up with fellow country trainers.

“I do a fair bit of variety driving; mainly country hobby trainers these days,” Osmond said.

“A lot of years ago, I was the number two driver for Vic Frost and I used to get a lot of chances at Harold Park but at the time I was an apprentice and it was either move to Sydney or stay in Canberra and focus on my apprentice.”

The Canberra-based reinsman, who decided to stay put in the nation’s capital, is son to Narrandera products, Ian and Ann Osmond, and he explained he still had a strong connection to the region.

“Mum and dad moved out years ago but I used to always head back there for school holidays,” Osmond said.

“Dad came to Canberra for a couple of weeks work and he’s been here ever since but we used to always get back there to Narrandera and I have aunties, uncles and grandparents there.”

Having been raised in the nation’s capital, Osmond – who is a sparky by trade – said he was always destined to be in the gig.

“I started when I was 16; well, that’s when I got my licence and I kicked off through the mini trotters like most do from the age of 11 or 12,” Osmond said.

“I kicked on to my licence and got my trials done and my first season was in 1994 and I drove my first winner at Junee.

“I only drive part time. I am a project manager and electrician by trade and I’ve been doing this for 22 years, but I love to drive when I can.”

These days, Osmond trains alongside his wife, Kylie at their Jeir property, while their daughter Tahlah has also taken up the reins, driving 12 winners in her first full season.

“We have a nice little property out of Canberra and between myself, my wife, my father and kids, we look after nine horses,” Osmond said.

“My daughter Taylah is into race driving too and last season she drove 12 winners, which is a lot better than the two winners I drove in my first season.”

The 45-year-old was happy with how things were and he hopes in the next few weeks he can bring up the magical 500th winner.

“I have only been to two meetings since I got to 499 and we got a couple of fourths at Goulburn last week and we went over to Temora on the weekend and finished with two seconds, a third and fourth” Osmond said.

“We went very close and we will hopefully get there. Canberra doesn’t kick off again till next month but I have some time off work, so we will go to Wagga on Friday and Canberra the week after and hopefully I can bring it up at one of those meetings.”

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 20 January 2022.