Enjoying the road to success

Talented South Australian harness racing reinswoman Tiana McMahon has been among the winners recently, but it would be fair to say most of her thoughts have been 700 kms away.

“My partner Rob (Caton) is moving into a barn at the new Shepparton Harness Racing Centre this week—so it’s all a bit exciting,” McMahon, 26, said.

Caton, who has been based in South Australia for most of the past seven years, was among the applicants for 70 available stables at the newly-developed complex.

“Rob’s been based at Kyabram for a bit while construction was being finished at Shepparton and unfortunately, I haven’t been able to give him much of a hand because I’m still living in Adelaide,” she said.

Caton, who has a team of 10 horses, plus a few youngsters, is hoping to attract more owners when he becomes established at his new base.

During a relatively short career, highlighted by working in the USA with well-known horseman Peter Foley for 12 months, Caton has prepared 29 winners.

Despite originally being from the Victorian Goulburn Valley region, McMahon will continue to be based in South Australia, but hopes to make occasional flying trips to Victoria to drive Caton’s horses when she is able.

“My grandpa Ernie McMahon trained horses a long time ago so that’s probably where my interest in the sport has come from,” she said.

“I’m getting a good number of race drives in SA so I’m pretty happy. There’s a group of trainers who look after me such as Ray Holberton, Dale Afford, Heather Stevens, Errol Johnson, Peta Brown, Jill Neilson and a few others.

“I worked with Ray for 18 months and he taught me a lot. He played a major role in getting me to where I am today. I’ve won a junior driver’s premiership and last Saturday night I got my 127th winner with Im Lady Madeleine (A Rocknroll Dance).

IM LADY MADELEINE REPLAY

“She is trained by Errol and over the past two months, I’ve had three wins and two placings with her.”

McMahon has also formed a winning combination with Dale Afford-trained four-year-old gelding Alakazam (Well Said) with two drives for two wins—the latest at Globe Derby Park (Sept 19).

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink