Loving the sport with a passion

You would have to go a long way to find more passionate people in the harness racing industry than country Victorians Garry Collinson and his wife Kim.

While the couple admit they aren’t interested in setting off on holidays, they will go and watch their horses compete at race meetings—or even go around on a chilly trial’s night.

“We’ve never really sat down and talked about an overseas destination we’d like to visit. That’s just not on the radar. Our reason for any travelling is our horses,” Garry said.

“So far, we’ve been to Menangle, Albion Park, Tasmania and Gloucester Park over in the west. Then there’s also been trips to many centres in Victoria, although work commitments mean we can’t always get off in time to be at some venues,” he said.

The Collinsons who are from the Beveridge district, north of Melbourne, have had up to 25 horses being prepared at the one time by a number of trainers.

“But that won’t be happening anymore. We were buying cheapies and winning quite a few, but when it came time to move them on, it was becoming harder and harder,” Garry said.

“Over the years I would look out for unraced horses or those that have had a few starts. I mostly use to search the Trading Ring website. If you watch closely, you can spot some good ones there.”

Collinson said he was fortunate to pick up a couple of nice horses in Zazu (Modern Art) and Beat City (A Rocknroll Dance), who between them have won 24 races.

“Beat City has been terrific. He probably could have stayed here, but Michael Young over in WA has him flying. He’s thriving with the sand training routine,” he said.

“We were a bit lucky to get Zazu as an unraced four-year-old because his previous trainer John Hallam had hurt himself.”

But without doubt the current favorite of the Collinson’s is the plucky bay gelding Gauci (Betterthancheddar), who recently won at Echuca for trainer Kate Hargreaves, of Shelbourne, near Bendigo.

Gauci defies all odds and races with just one eye. He was purchased from Tasmania last year by the Collinsons, along with Kim’s parents Frank and Sue Harris, but before they could race him, the pacer got an infection in his offside eye.

Garry said the infection created pressure which kept pushing the horse’s eye out.

“There was no option but to have it removed. I thought that was the end of his racing career, but Kate pushed on. He’s been a project horse for her, that’s for sure,” he said.

Gauci was off the scene from July last year until April, but in the eight starts since his eye surgery, he has failed to weigh in only once, and has two wins and three placings.

“He’s had to cope with all of that and now he’s a genuine racehorse. He’s on a low grade but he’s actually super competitive, although Kate is mindful of where to place him.”

Gauci’s next start is at Swan Hill on Sunday.

Collinson said he had decided on a change of direction, with more focus on the breeding side in the future.

“That is certainly my plan going ahead. At this stage I want to breed at least one foal each season so that will mean I’ll be keeping some good stock after they finish racing,” he said.

“I grew up in a TAB and going to watch harness racing with my dad and granddad. I can still remember when the person working in the TAB would pass over a hand-written betting slip!

“We just love the sport – it’s a great industry to be in and virtually every person I’ve met has been terrific.

“With the breeding, we’re in partnership with Kate who is happy to leave it up to me, but I’ve never been involved in that side of things so it will be another learning curve as we go.

“We already have a couple of youngsters in a rising two-year-old by RocknRoll Heaven and a weanling out of Sheshallrock, so we’re looking forward to see how they shape up.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink