Vincent fillies win for Ross Houghton

Forty five year old Swannanoa harness racing trainer Ross Houghton is having a great run with two closely related daughters of Vincent. But because he primarily breaks in horses, the fillies will soon be sent on to Woodend Beach trainer Bob Butt.

Courtney Rose (Vincent) and Don’t Tell Jenny (Vincent) both of whom qualified recently at Ashburton, have Tabella Beth (Able Bye Bye) as their fourth dam.

After initially not being a fan of the stock of Vincent, Houghton has changed his mind.

“I’ve never had a colt, but the fillies I’ve found, are a wee bit ratty. But every time you bring them back in they just get better and better. These two have grown on me,” he said.

Courtney Rose has been to two workouts for a win and a second. She won a trial at Addington last Wednesday by one and three quarter lengths before qualifying at Ashburton, easily winning by two and a half lengths.

“She’s speedy and tough. I’ve never got to the bottom of her. Everything she’s done she’s done it easy.”

Don’t Tell Jenny had two workouts for a first and a third before qualifying at Ashburton on Tuesday.

“She’s a bit toey but has a lot of speed. She’s surprised me with how good she’s come up as well.”

The fillies were bred by the late Glenn Scott who passed away in 2021.

“Scottie bred them but he didn’t tell Jenny (his wife) that he’d put a mare in foal. So that’s why she’s called that.”

Both Courtney Rose and Don’t Tell Jenny are owned by the Scotty’s Leftovers Syndicate.

“At that point Glenn had already bred the horses and his wish was to put his wife, brother and all his best mates into these horses.”

Houghton also recently qualified three year old Take The Deal (American Ideal) who has Tabella Beth in his pedigree as well.

“He did a prep at Bob’s and came back here. He’s gone back to Bob’s.”

On the racing front Ross has Executive Banner (Rock N Roll Heaven) starting at Addington on Friday night.

“He goes good. He’s a sit and sprint horse. He won his first start as a two year old then ran second and was the favourite for the Sapling Stakes, but he got down in the float. Ever since then every time you take him to the races he sweats up and runs his race in the float. This prep he’s coming right. He’s gone some good races and at his last start he was left out wide, so I had to go forward which is not his go.”

Houghton is a product of Lincoln High School and started working for Dean Taylor as a fourteen year old mowing the lawns.

His uncle Barrie Houghton ran a stud farm which stood Stampede and he held a trainer’s license, training two winners from limited race day starters.

Barrie was married to Alex Purdon’s daughter Jan, whose sister Elaine is Dean Taylor’s mother.

Once he left school at fifteen Houghton spent five years working for Taylor full time before he shifted to Barry Purdon’s where he worked for four years.

“Dean had some pretty good horses back then and he was pretty good at putting me on.”

Black Eyed Bailey (Holmes Hanover) Bruzem (Holmes Hanover) and Tidal Franco (Live Or Die) were in the stable at that time.

“I drove Black Eyed Bailey in the Cup in 2001. I also won the sales race at Auckland with Tidal Franco.”

When he left Barry Purdon’s Haughton returned to Taylor, doing a shift in the mornings.

“In the afternoons I did all his breaking in at Royce Court’s old place. I did that for another five years.”

Houghton then left harness racing and for fourteen years worked for Air New Zealand.

“I was doing night shift and I ran into Johnny (Dunn). He asked if I wanted to help them in the mornings after work. I did that for two or three years and then I left Air New Zealand and went full time with them.”

Whilst at the Dunn’s stable Ross drove champion trotter Sundees Son (Majestic Son) and won on him at Addington as a two year old.

“I helped to get him going and got on pretty well with him.”

As a driver Houghton has driven seventy one winners. His first was on Serenade (Butlers BG) for Dean Taylor at Reefton in December 1997.

“She ran on the first two days at Westport and then won at Reefton.”

Houghton’s biggest win was the 2003 NZ Yearling Sales Series Final on Tidal Franco.

He’s driven twenty seven winners for Taylor, nineteen for Robert Dunn, eight for himself and five for Glenn Scott.

As a trainer he’s geared up ten winners.

At Swannanoa where he has a small race team he leases boxes from Dancingonmoonlight. For the last three years he’s broken in all of Robert and Jenna Dunn’s yearlings.

Of the latest batch from February’s sale, he’s highlighted an American Ideal colt out of Arma Courage who’s a half-brother to Arma Indie, (Well Said) and a Captain Crunch colt out of Chieko who’s closely related to Diego.

Houghton has twenty horses in work, mainly breakers, and is helped out by Trinity Atkinson, Alan Beecroft and Annalise Atkin.

A horse he’s proud to have helped on it’s way is a rising star in North America called Rock The Captain (Captaintreacherous) who was bought by JC International for $40,000 as Arden’s Bounty at the 2022 NZ Standardbred Sales. He’s had three starts for two wins and a brave third.

Ross Houghton has been in harness racing for most of his adult life and has been involved in breaking in some top liners like Waipawa Lad (Live Or Die), Highgrove (Love You) and Triple G (Downbytheseaside).

Although his latest two young horses are heading to Woodend Beach, he can be proud that he’s carried out the wishes of his mate Glenn Scott and provided the family and some of his mates with a couple of nice racehorses.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink