Sun shining on twins harnessing a dream

When Queensland twins Nathan and Will Rothwell convinced their parents to move 1500 kilometres interstate so they could pursue their harness racing dream, they couldn’t have imagined where the journey would take them.

But nearly six years after Mark and Michele Rothwell packed up the family and moved from the Sunshine State to Victoria to give their boys that start, the brothers are making their mark back on home soil.

And a recent purple patch of five wins in a week – including a special milestone for Nathan – suggests their dream is coming along nicely.

“We were probably really not going to do anything else because we’ve followed the horses since we were about five years old,” Nathan said.

“Dad owned a few horses and helped out in a couple of NSW stables for a bit – the interest probably flowed on from his father, who owned quite a number over the years,” he said.

“But we are really happy with what we are doing and everything is going along nicely.”

The 23-year-old brothers’ recent run of success began when Nathan steered stable runner Harry Kane (Highview Tommy) to a strong victory at Albion Park on October 20.

Five days later, at Redcliffe, he celebrated a milestone that will stay with him for many years, bringing up his 200th career driving win with an all-the-way victory aboard Docta Feelgood (Hurricane Kingcole).

“That was my 200th win so it was very special. He’s trained by Vic Frost and Gail Geeson down at Sleepy Hollow in NSW and they give me plenty of opportunities,” Nathan said.

But the family celebrations continued when just two races later, Nathan was back in the winner’s circle with another Rothwell stable runner, October Racketeer (Mr Feelgood), who is raced by Michele.

At their next meeting at Albion Park (October 26), it was Will’s turn to take centre stage – and he didn’t disappoint favourite backers, landing a winning double.

He timed his run to perfection aboard the $2.15 favourite Cosmic Flyer (Mr Feelgood) for trainer Anthony Gorman to claim the Ladbrokes On Tote Pace, then later in the program, completed the double with an all-the-way victory aboard Nathan’s horse Harry Kane, who was sent out the $2.20 favourite in the Wolf Signs Pace.

The brothers wanted the best start to kick off their harness racing journey so the family made the remarkable decision to relocate south, where Nathan and Will could undertake formal training.

Their stay extended almost two years as the twins developed their skills, gained valuable experience and began establishing themselves in the sport before relocating back home four years ago.

“We just wanted to learn as much as we could so when we saw a course being offered by the Gippsland Harness Training Centre at Warragul that just looked perfect,” Nathan said.

“The course was during COVID so it was a bit tricky at times, but it helped us immensely,” he said.

“It was fortunate dad could still oversee a plaster company he had on the Sunshine Coast.  It was a bit hard leaving family and friends behind, but we had to do it.”

Their first major breakthrough came with Playa Blanca (Somebeachsomewhere), who gave Nathan his maiden victory as both a trainer and driver at Warragul in 2022. The family eventually returned to Queensland later that year, settling on a property at Mt Helen, near Esk, about 75 minutes from Albion Park.

Nathan now has 201 wins (10.5%) and 447 placings from 1923 drives, while Will has 49 wins (13%) and 90 placings from 375 drives.

Today, the twins train a team of four from the family’s 30-acre property, while continuing to build their driving careers and attract support from other stables.

“It’s great to have the team firing and mum and dad often come to the races. It’s also nice to pick up support from outside trainers. We’ve been looked after by Jack Butler, Vic Frost, Donnie Smith and some others,” Nathan said.

“We are both eligible for concession claims. I get three points, while Will can claim five.”

And while their own stable remains relatively small, the brothers are keen to expand when the right opportunities arise.

“We are always on the lookout for more if the right ones come along,” Nathan said.

One familiar face back in the stable is Playa Blanca, the mare who played such an important role in launching their careers.

“Playa Blanca had a stint in NSW and did very well and now she has 15 wins all up. She will have one more prep with us and then we’ll breed from her,” Nathan said.

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink