It was a successful night for the Murphy family, brothers Declan and Brent both driving winners

Declan was the news from the night, driving his first ever winner.

READ MORE SPORT:

The youngster drove Atego Shades to victory in the 2200m Regent Entertainment Pace, the horse trained by father David of Murphy's Harness Racing Stables.

In the previous race, Brent drove Son of Major, paying $61, to victory in the 1710m Ballarat Vet Practice Pace.

Declan told The Courier it was an exciting moment crossing the line a winner.

"Going across the line I was over the moon, considering it was my first win," he said.

For David, it was a proud night watching two of his sons drive consecutive winners.

It came after a week of trying to rush Declan's license approval through the harness racing board following his completed trials.

They drew barrier 10, Declan settling out the back of the field.

"Turning for home ... when they've gone 50 metres into the straight I thought, 'this little thing's got a chance'," David said.

"It just hit the line really good, so a proud moment to have both boys win two races in a row."

Brent's victory was the ninth of his career and one he did not expect going into the race.

"Didn't think I was much of a winning chance, I knew I couldn't ride it for luck," he said.

"I knew I had to drive it with my whits about me still."

If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.

Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.