Milestone night a welcome lift for Hoare family in tough times

South Australian harness racing trainer Trent Hoare celebrated a career-best night at Port Pirie on Saturday, but the significance of the results extended far beyond the winner’s circle.

The young horseman prepared two winners, recorded the first training trifecta of his career, won his grandfather’s memorial race and remarkably saw all five of his runners finish in the top three.

For a trainer who only recently stepped out on his own after three years in partnership with brother Ryan, it was a milestone-filled evening.

But perhaps most importantly, it provided a welcome confidence boost for Trent, partner Tiarna Smith and their young family as they continue navigating one of the most challenging periods of their lives.

“We’ve had a pretty shitty time of it lately,” Hoare said candidly.

In April, Smith, a registered nurse and mother to the couple’s 17-month-old son Otto, suffered a devastating and completely unexpected brain bleed at just 25 years of age.

What began as a routine morning quickly turned into a medical emergency, with Smith diagnosed with a large and complex subarachnoid haemorrhage before being transferred to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for specialist treatment.

After months of scans, appointments and consultations, Smith is now preparing to undergo major brain surgery on July 16 to remove two arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) believed to have caused the bleed.

“Hopefully after that we can move on in our lives and it’ll all be sweet,” Hoare said.

“She’s never had a headache or a migraine in her life.  It’s pretty lucky that probably her experience as a nurse told her what was happening wasn’t normal.”

While juggling hospital visits, family commitments and the uncertainty surrounding Tiarna’s health, Hoare has continued to train a handy small team from Port Pirie.

The stable currently has seven horses in work and around 10 on the farm, but Hoare is quick to acknowledge that the operation has only continued thanks to an extraordinary support network.

His brother Ryan, who had stepped away from racing to focus on family life 12 months ago, quickly returned to help.

“Ryan always left the door open to come back into the sport at some point, but the door came open a bit quicker than he was expecting!” Hoare said.

“My father-in-law Shane Smith has basically been working all my horses for me, and my uncle Shane Montgomerie has helped out.

“My nan is incredible. She’s 85 and she’s out here every day washing gear and getting the ice boots on. She used to help my pa, then she helped Dad with the horses and once Ryan and I got into it she found a new lease on life in the sport.

“My mum and dad are a huge help too. Dad always had the horses and Mum wasn’t overly interested back then, but now she helps with waters, feeds and whatever else needs doing.

“And Tiarna claims she’s not into the horses but she is incredible,” he said.

“She’s going through a lot, but she’s always the first one to message me about how the horses have gone. I think she knows how much I love the sport and how much it lights up Otto’s eyes when he sees the horses.

“She supports me, and that’s enough for me.”

Saturday night’s results were reward for those collective efforts.

Nine-year-old After The Chase continued his remarkable form with victory in the race named in honour of Hoare’s late grandfather, Brian, while Tiger Roars produced an impressive win later on the card.

The stable also filled all three placings in one event through Tiger Roars, My Ultimate Banjo and Ice Queen, delivering the first training trifecta of Hoare’s career.

Our Ultimate Lois added to the memorable evening with a runner-up finish, while every one of the stable’s five starters finished in the placings.

The double was Hoare’s second since establishing his own training operation, following another successful night at Globe Derby about a month earlier. Yet for all the statistics and milestones, the trainer knew exactly who deserved the biggest share of the credit.

“Holy shit, I don’t even know where to start,” he wrote on social media after the meeting.

“Maybe having five runners on the night that didn’t run outside the top three, or winning my own papa’s memorial race, or Chase continuing to build a picket fence, or maybe even for the first time ever having runners finish first, second and third in the same race.

“Most importantly, my unreal partner in crime Tiarna. This night’s for you darling.”

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink