JACK Callaghan looks set to miss the remainder of what has been a breakthrough season after testing positive for COVID-19.
Callaghan, now based in Sydney after growing up in Morisset, was informed about the coronavirus result on Thursday and will likely need to self-isolate for up to a fortnight.
The 20-year-old will no longer drive at Newcastle's Christmas Eve meeting.
It means he will finish 2021 with a career-best 157 winners, which puts him second on the Harness Racing NSW premiership, and almost $1.6million in stakes earnings.
The highlights include five group 3 victories and his first crack at an Inter Dominion final, finishing third on board Alta Orlando at Menangle earlier this month.
"It's the Inter Dominion, basically the Melbourne Cup of trots so I guess it's everyone's dream. To be able to be part of it, run two seconds in the heats and third in the final - it was a great few weeks," Callaghan said.
"Now I've been there it gives me a bit of confidence that I'm up to that level and hopefully one day knock it off."
In terms of the last 12 months Callaghan said "it's been awesome" and "it's basically gone perfect for me". Now he wants to "keep that consistency going and continue it on".
He was due to have seven drives at Newcastle International Paceway on Friday, mostly for Belinda McCarthy, and replacements were yet to be named.
Rickie Alchin-trained Girls Are Best is vying for a fourth straight win when starting from the second row in race two while Richard Williams' Cruisen On Bye is scratched from the eighth.
Elsewhere, Inter Dominion series runner Royal Gamble, trained by Callaghan's father Mark, has been nominated for the Maitland City Cup ($14,790) on Tuesday.
The Maitland track will also host four Inter City Pace heats with a final following on January 2.
