Family favourite edges toward $50K milestone

Milestones come in all shapes and sizes, and Victorian Mallee harness racing identity Gary “Fred” Peters is within reach of a significant personal benchmark at this Sunday’s Boort Cup meeting (March 1).

Stable favourite No Emotion (named from his breeding, by Grinfromeartoear out of Sokysokylala) recorded his 10th career win at Charlton last week, moving the 10-year-old to within a whisker of $50K in earnings.

“It’s been a bit of a running joke between us and (trainer) Mick Gadsden – that we had to get No Emotion rehabbed so we could get him back down to Mick and get past $50,000 mark!” Fred said.

Fred has been part of harness racing life, as an owner, trainer and driver, for more than 50 years, alongside brothers Trevor, Alan and Gavin, and Trevor’s son Dean, and No Emotion has been the family’s standout performer of latter years.

After beginning his career from the Peters’ base at Patchewollock, south of Ouyen, No Emotion was transferred to Mick Gadsden’s Charlton stable late last year. Already a consistent performer in the northern region, the gelding has flourished under Gadsden’s care, recording seven wins and 11 placings from 32 starts.

“Gavin had been at me to send him down to Mick, because he had one of his horses down there and was really happy with what Mick had done with him,” Fred said.

No Emotion banked six wins for Gadsden, before going sore in a fetlock mid-year and returning home for rehabilitation.

But Peters said there was never any doubt the veteran would head back south.

“He’s won more races for us than any other horse we’ve had and everyone here just loves him.”

He is currently sitting on $49,845 in earnings and If No Emotion can weigh in at Boort, the long-chased $50,000 milestone will be reached – a fitting result for a horse who has become part of the family fabric.

In fact, it was Alan Peters’ grandson Jagger who first chose the horse.

“We took a mare to get in foal at Mary-Helen Pearce’s and Jagger, who was about three or four, went with us,” Fred said.

“He reckoned we couldn’t come home with an empty float, so we told him he could pick a horse out from three or four yearlings that Mary had available. No Emotion was the one he picked and he was a good choice – he’s a real family horse, a kids’ horse.

“We took the kids to Swan Hill to see him race a few weeks ago, and as soon as he spotted them, he put his head down for a pat!”

Broken in by the family, No Emotion didn’t make it to the races until he was four.

“He broke in pretty easy, but we just took our time with him, and he’s been a great horse for us. He’s just a fun horse to have around and fun to race. When he’s home Jagger will still sit up on the gatepost and call him and he’ll come running up,” Fred said.

“It would be nice to reach that milestone, but he’ll live out his days with us for sure, whenever that time comes.”

The Peters family has long been a constant in the northern region circuit, working teams of up to six between them.

“I’ve pretty much had horses all my life. My oldest brother Trevor got one and I just went along with him. Then a trainer Don Crouch from Speed gave us a couple of older ones to learn with and we’ve had horses ever since,” he said.

“It’s probably the worst mistake we’ve made!  I threaten every year to retire – but I’m still going. It gets you out of bed in the morning!”

by Terry Gange for Harnesslink