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Quirky Victorian pacer Frankntank (Sealed N Delivered) has always been something of a harness racing enigma but one thing he’s clear on – retirement isn’t on his radar!
“Frank”, as he is fondly known, produced the most emphatic win of his career at Mildura last Friday (Mar 7) – exactly one year to the day from connections making the tough call to retire the 10-year-old from racing and send him off for rehoming.
Driven by Bendigo reinsman Alex Ashwood, Frankntank settled four back on the pegs in the Mildura Bowls Carnival May 28 Pace (NR 50-55), before slipping out into the running line at the 1000 metre mark. When the runs came with a lap to go, Ashwood made his move, leading the three wide line, then surging to the front at the 400-metre mark and finishing full of running to score by 20 metres.
Watch the replay here: www.harness.au/racing/2025-03-07/mildura/D/meeting
“As someone said to me: ‘Well played, Frank, well played!” trainer Kate Attard laughed.
“We’d had him on and off right through his career and he was always a favorite because he’s such a quirky character – he’ll grab your shirt and just hold onto it, or he’ll grab the hose and wave it around while you’re filling his trough. He sticks his tongue out and makes faces. You can’t help but love him,” said
“We eventually bought him from his owner Stuart Cocks about a year before he retired, but he’d had ongoing issues with stifles and we couldn’t get on top of them. In the end we thought he’d be a lovely riding horse for someone.”
But Frank had other ideas. The pacer was sent to a South Australian rehoming program – where he lasted all of four weeks.
“It was a bit of a surprise because he loves people, but he just hated being ridden. The lady who took him did a lot of work with him, but came to the conclusion in the end that a riding career wasn’t going to work out for him,” Attard said.
“We could have sold him as a ‘paddock ornament’, but that’s not always a good life for them, so I organized a transport to bring him back home again.”
Frank, who is owned by Attard’s partner Matt Keam, her daughter Charli Masotti, and Rylee Cocks, the daughter of his former owner, was retired to the back paddock.
“But he was basically working himself in the paddock. I came home one day and found dad (Pat) working him – he’d brought him up and put shoes on him to give him another go,” Attard said.
“It seems like a long spell did him the world of good, and he’s also swimming now, which he loves. Matt’s been fast working him, and he’s been beating anything he works against, so we knew he was feeling better and he’d been racing great. But it was just so good to see him win the way he did.”
It was Frankntank’s 15th career win, and adding to the excitement, the Attard stable trained the quinella in the race, with another family favorite Heart of Cooper finishing second.
It’s been a busy start to 2025 for Attard, who is well known in Victorian harness racing circles for her equine bodywork business, with the launch of her equine therapy products range, Horse Queened.
“I was getting really frustrated with the lack of products suitable for the Australian climate and I’ve been experimenting and making my own products for years,” she said.
“It took over two years to get through the APVMA registration process, but we’ve made it, and people can be certain the products are safe – and they work!”
The initial product range includes a cooling gel and spray for sprains, fly spray, grooming products, a healing cream and hoof products, including a thrush treatment.
“We’re selling online and through some stockists in Mildura, Pet and Produce and Mildura Stockfeeds. But we’re also in talks with a national pet products retailer and that is looking promising, which is pretty exciting.”
“Frank”, as he is fondly known, produced the most emphatic win of his career at Mildura last Friday (Mar 7) – exactly one year to the day from connections making the tough call to retire the 10-year-old from racing and send him off for rehoming.
Driven by Bendigo reinsman Alex Ashwood, Frankntank settled four back on the pegs in the Mildura Bowls Carnival May 28 Pace (NR 50-55), before slipping out into the running line at the 1000 metre mark. When the runs came with a lap to go, Ashwood made his move, leading the three wide line, then surging to the front at the 400-metre mark and finishing full of running to score by 20 metres.
Watch the replay here: www.harness.au/racing/2025-03-07/mildura/D/meeting
“As someone said to me: ‘Well played, Frank, well played!” trainer Kate Attard laughed.
“We’d had him on and off right through his career and he was always a favorite because he’s such a quirky character – he’ll grab your shirt and just hold onto it, or he’ll grab the hose and wave it around while you’re filling his trough. He sticks his tongue out and makes faces. You can’t help but love him,” said
“We eventually bought him from his owner Stuart Cocks about a year before he retired, but he’d had ongoing issues with stifles and we couldn’t get on top of them. In the end we thought he’d be a lovely riding horse for someone.”
But Frank had other ideas. The pacer was sent to a South Australian rehoming program – where he lasted all of four weeks.
“It was a bit of a surprise because he loves people, but he just hated being ridden. The lady who took him did a lot of work with him, but came to the conclusion in the end that a riding career wasn’t going to work out for him,” Attard said.
“We could have sold him as a ‘paddock ornament’, but that’s not always a good life for them, so I organized a transport to bring him back home again.”
Frank, who is owned by Attard’s partner Matt Keam, her daughter Charli Masotti, and Rylee Cocks, the daughter of his former owner, was retired to the back paddock.
“But he was basically working himself in the paddock. I came home one day and found dad (Pat) working him – he’d brought him up and put shoes on him to give him another go,” Attard said.
“It seems like a long spell did him the world of good, and he’s also swimming now, which he loves. Matt’s been fast working him, and he’s been beating anything he works against, so we knew he was feeling better and he’d been racing great. But it was just so good to see him win the way he did.”
It was Frankntank’s 15th career win, and adding to the excitement, the Attard stable trained the quinella in the race, with another family favorite Heart of Cooper finishing second.
It’s been a busy start to 2025 for Attard, who is well known in Victorian harness racing circles for her equine bodywork business, with the launch of her equine therapy products range, Horse Queened.
“I was getting really frustrated with the lack of products suitable for the Australian climate and I’ve been experimenting and making my own products for years,” she said.
“It took over two years to get through the APVMA registration process, but we’ve made it, and people can be certain the products are safe – and they work!”
The initial product range includes a cooling gel and spray for sprains, fly spray, grooming products, a healing cream and hoof products, including a thrush treatment.
“We’re selling online and through some stockists in Mildura, Pet and Produce and Mildura Stockfeeds. But we’re also in talks with a national pet products retailer and that is looking promising, which is pretty exciting.”
From Terry Gange for Harnesslink
Kate Attard, her dad Pat and partner Matt Keam celebrate a stable quinella with winner (right) Frankntank (driver Alex Ashwood) and Heart of Cooper (driver Jack Laugher)(Jo Morrish photograph)
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