Trotters, tall tales and bragging rights

Well-known trainer-driver Robert “Ginger” Gleeson has earned the bragging rights at his Victorian harness racing stable lately – and he’s making the most of them!

The jovial horseman has been basking in the afterglow of an impressive Ballarat victory last week (May 14) with six-year-old trotter Nuclear Attitude (Kvintet Avenger).

And the first person to offer congratulations afterwards was Ginger’s close mate Robert Young, who prepared and drove the runner-up Jungle Spider in the Book Now Girls Night Out 25/6 Trot.

“There’s certainly been a bit of banter around the stables, but it’s all in good fun,” said Young, who is based at Gleeson’s barn at Balliang East near Bacchus Marsh.

“I did my best to catch him, but he got a good break and beat us by nearly eight metres.”

The pair have what Young calls a “great friendly rivalry”.

“We are both always pretty competitive always, but I was very pleased for Ginger,” Young said.

“When we go to the races we travel together and whoever finishes the furthest back is known as the loser – and has to shout drinks and something to eat on the way home.

“After Ballarat I was prepared to settle the score as usual, but I got a nice surprise – Ginger was that happy to get the win, he shouted! And then on top of that, he won one of the $100 fuel voucher bonuses,” he laughed.

Young himself has enjoyed a sensational run since purchasing seven-year-old gelding Scar (Danny Bouchea) back in mid-2024, with the pair winning 11 races and 14 placings.

“He’s been a challenge at times, but I’ve certainly had an incredible run with him. He was down in the NR 40s for 11 starts which had much to do with his unreliability,” he said.

Young said he had known Ginger for over 60 years.

“I was best mates with his older brother David and a group of us when we were kids used to hang around George Gath’s stables every Saturday morning.  Ginger spent a lot of time at (George’s son) Neville’s stables, and then with Bob Birthisel,” he said.

“It was a good atmosphere and heaps of fun. Every Saturday night we’d all go to the Melbourne trots. My dad George was mad on the trots as well as the gallops.

“Later on in 1977 Ginger’s dad George was an original foundation member of Bacchus Marsh Trotting Club, while my dad was the first secretary and on the committee. I was the first treasurer, and another well-known name back in those days was Peter Armstrong who was the inaugural president.”

Gleeson, who was awarded the Gordon Rothacker Medal in 2019, has driven over 540 winners according to Harness Racing Australia records with the 1982-83 season a highlight with 50 winners. In his heyday he won several Group One races including Derbies, Oaks, Galaxy Grand Slams (precursor to the Australasian Breeders Crown), Sires Stakes finals and Country Cups.

Young has been based at the Gleeson property for the past few years, with the pair sharing stable facilities and plenty of laughs along the way.

“I live right next door to the Bacchus Marsh Harness Racing Club and for a long time it was easy to pop over and use the track.  But they did a $20 million redevelopment there and now it’s very busy at times with three football ovals, soccer fields, tennis courts, a pony club, as well as a BMX track. I would probably have to float our horses to the track if I wanted to use it,” Young said.

“I don’t have to travel far to Ginger’s place and we get along very well. We both enjoy what we’re doing because it’s something we want to do.

“I train Scar and Jungle Spider, while Ginger has Nuclear Attitude and She Drives Me. Then there’s a few others including young ones. We’re doing seven between us and you could say seven headaches because they’re all trotters! But I guess that all changes when they start going okay.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink