TAYLA French's early season momentum continues to gather pace, with the young driver on the rise notching a win apiece at Melton last Friday and Cranbourne on Sunday.
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Her victories followed hot on the heels of the Heathcote reinswoman's first career treble at Cranbourne earlier in the month.
A solid weekend's work for French was kick-started by her win aboard the Scott Ewen-trained Assassinator at Tabcorp Park Melton.
She followed up with a victory for former Bendigo trainer-driver Chris Svanosio at Cranbourne with She Will Rock.
Those wins boosted her 2020 season tally to six, ensuring the 23-year-old a place among the state's top-10 drivers at this early point of the season.
Her win on Assassinator came in her first-ever drive for Cranbourne trainer-driver Scott Ewen, with the former South Australian quick to declare it would not be the last time French would be given an opportunity on his horses.
"I was looking for a claimer driver and keeping my eye on a lot of drivers since I moved across from South Australia, she's one who has stood out as doing a good job with (the horses), so I was only too happy to give her an opportunity to drive this bloke and she drove him beautifully," Ewen said.
"(Assassinator) needed to get back into a (NR) 79 race and this made it a bit easier for him, so that's why I gave up the drive.
"Tayla was the choice and the right choice.
"She's back on him again this Saturday (at Melton). He's going really well, so she is a big chance to get another win with him.
"Tayla told me when she got off him that he is airborne."
The continuing partnership will provide French with the opportunity to claim her fourth metropolitan race win, 11-months after she scored her first aboard Animated.
Assassinator, formerly trained in South Australia and a career winner of 24 of 165 stars, was having his first start for Ewen, who relocated to Victoria about 14 months ago after long being one of South Australia's leading trainers.
He predicted a bright future for French, who has quickly crept to 76 career wins.
"She drives very well and I'm sure if she gets some nice drives for some good trainers, she will do the job for them," he said.
A winning weekend for French was completed by She Will Rock's win at Cranbourne on Sunday.
The four-year-old mare was bred and is part-owned by Yorkshire Park's Dennis and Brenda Bice and has won five of 17 career starts and been placed five times.
The daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven and My Little Black Dress has now won two races from three starts this year, bookending a third at Geelong with wins at Swan Hill earlier in the month and Cranbourne.
French had She Will Rock well-placed behind the leader River Patrol at the bell before flashing home in the sprint lane to edge out the fast-closing Ona Highway Tohell and River Patrol in a thrilling three-way finish.
A large book of drives for Wednesday night's Bendigo meeting will include three for her father Terry French with Beach Wreck, Joeys Hangover and Hard Rock Shannon and one apiece for Svanosio (Aldebaran Alissa) and Michael Tobin (Soulwriter).
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(Tayla) drives very well and I'm sure if she gets some nice drives for some good trainers, she will do the job for them.
- Scott Ewen
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