Castana and Hanara are due a change of luck
Garrick Knight - Raceform • February 12th, 2026 11:36 AM • 4 min read
Surely it can’t happen three starts in a row.
Taitlyn Hanara admits she’s been left frustrated by the bad luck that has befallen her regular drive Castana in his last two starts.
Two back on the grass at Taupo, he was unable to get out of the trail due to a lack of a passing lane, going to the line for a hard-held and luckless sixth. Then a fortnight ago, back at his usual haunt of Alexandra Park, Castana was shuffled back, then checked on the bend when Pantani galloped in front of him. Once balanced up, he finished on well for third behind Confessional.
“Hopefully we change our luck this week,” Hanara told RaceForm.
“His last couple of starts have not gone our way, but it has him fizzed up and ready to go and hopefully we can blow the top off the bottle this week.”
Castana tackles the $17,000 NZB Standardbred 2026 National Yearling Sale Trot at Alexandra Park, where he meets a strong, but even field from behind the mobile.
Junior driver Hanara, who works for Castana’s trainers, Dave and Clare McGowan, had a year to remember in 2025 driving the now six-year-old son of Quaker Jet. They teamed up for five wins and more than $100,000 in stakes, including a victory in a $50,000 Golden Gait Final in December.
“He’s literally everyone’s dream horse,” Hanara enthused. “The owners are having an absolute ball with the way he’s been going, and I can’t thank them enough for allowing me to be a part of it.”
It’s hard for any driver to make a living in the North Island, much less a junior and, in Hanara’s case, as a young mum. But she never wavered from her desire to get more opportunities in the sulky on race night and those are now coming.
“I’ve always dreamed of making a good go of it at the driving. I prefer the training side of things more, but having a good horse like this to sit behind, week in, week out, you can’t say no to that kind of opportunity.
“I can’t fault the horse. He’s got a beautiful way of going and is just so balanced in everything he does. He’s literally the perfect horse to drive.”
This week presents an interesting challenge for horse and driver – in a mobile sprint, you don’t want to get too far back, but Hanara is also mindful of overdoing it early.
“He’s the sort of horse that you can’t use too much at the start, or he won’t have it at the finish. But if we can get handy and get cover, that should put us right in play.”
Castana’s last mobile and sprint was in the Golden Gait Final, which he won from barrier 12, so Hanara knows what the horse is capable of with the right amount of luck.
“It will probably come down to how much steam he’s got left down the straight.”
In a nod to her recent run of success with Castana, Hanara has been called upon to be the new driver for promising maiden trotting mare Fabiana on Friday night.
With her regular driver Maurice McKendry sidelined after a recent cardiac episode, trainer Robbie Behrns needed to find a new pilot for the daughter of Majestic Son.
“Our stable does a lot of fast work with Robbie and Fabiana, so we know them quite well. It was nice to get the call-up to drive her in a trial last week and again this week. I’ve had only the one drive on her, but she seems like a great little trotter.”
Fabiana has been well supported in all three race starts, but she’s trotted the whole way in only one of them, finishing second. She won a trial on her home track, Franklin Park, last week and takes on a small field in Friday night’s $15,000 Pascoes The Jewellers Trot.
“I know it was only me and one other in the trial last week, but she gave me a really nice feel. With these maidens, they just need to step and do everything right. If she does that this week, she gets her chance to record that first win.”
Bookies opened Fabiana the $3.80 second favourite on Tuesday, behind only Aldebaran What ($1.90).
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