Kiel family setting the pace

When the harness racing bug bites it’s hard to shake off – and Swan Hill’s Kiel family are a prime example.

Although the Kiels have four generations of history in the sport, you won’t know them as trainers or drivers – these days, their involvement is largely through breeding and, most notably, sponsorship, much to the benefit of the Swan Hill Harness Racing Club.

The family company Kiel Tiling is behind the club’s enduring and much-loved Blue Pearl Classic, which, for the 17th time on Thursday night, drew together some of Victoria’s best female reinswomen, vying for not only a $14,000 feature, but also a $1000 blue pearl necklace trophy.

As well as concepting and backing the meeting, Kiel Tiling is also a track sprint lane sponsor and a finish line sponsor, and at each Blue Pearl Classic night Tony and Peter bring together more than 100 or more clients, friends, colleagues and business partners in the dining room to enjoy the night.

“Sponsors don’t come much better than the Kiels – all the companies and individuals who contribute financially we’re grateful for,” said Swan Hill HRC President Noel Watson.

“But there are some who just ‘get’ the sport, love it and want to see it succeed – and that’s what Tony and Peter and the whole Kiel family does,” Watson said.

“It’s a fantastic financial contribution, but they also bring enormous goodwill, spread the word, bring new people into the sport, and give back to the industry.”

Thursday night’s Blue Pearl Classic coincided this year with the National Team Teal promotion of Women’s Cancer, so an additional and significant contribution to the Team Teal coffers was assured no matter which of the 12 female drivers succeeded on the night.

And it was an all-female trainer-driver combination that prevailed, with the Emma Stewart – Rebecca Bartley combination succeeding on Kekoa (Art Major-Hawaiian Hottie (American Ideal). Bartley overcame an extreme outside back-row draw to score by six metres over Holi Starzz (Kylie Sugars) and Valkyrie (Ellen Tormey).

If, as Watson observes, the Kiel’s “get” harness racing, it’s not surprising.

“My father (Kevin) and my grandfather Os bought a horse together (in the 1960s) – dad trained and drove it. It won three races, I think, and we’ve been in harness racing ever since,” Tony said.

“We had horses out on the farm at Gowanford (west of Swan Hill) and my brother Peter and dad got into training and breeding. They had up to five or six at a time and there were quite a few trainers out in the area around Ultima. They even used to have informal trials around our little 600 metre track!

“As I got older, I got into it as well. And as the years have gone on, now the kids are involved too.”

The Kiels breed “three or four” a year and have most notably raced the handy Apache Shark (winner of 12 from 18, including a Vicbred Platinum Final) and Isnt She Just (nine wins from 26 starts). Dallas McIntyre at Echuca handles the pre-race preparation, and the Kiel’s have their racing team with Emma Stewart and Luke Watson at Mildura.

“It’s a great sport for families – Peter and Mandy are passionate about them, and they do so much work with breeding and the horses on the farm. I’m involved there too, but I’m passionate in other ways through sponsorship and the Blue Pearl night,” Tony said.

“When it started, I wanted to get something going to remember my father in racing – so we had a night at the trots for a dozen or so of the local builders. Then 17 years on, this is what’s it’s grown into.

“This year mum was able to be here – she’s 87 so it was a pretty good effort. And we got permission from the stewards to have dad’s colors (brown, red and white diamonds) on our horse Quick Sting in dad’s memorial race on the night. He’s coming back from an injury and finished sixth but it was fantastic to see the colors going around again for the first time in 30 years. We’re planning to get them re-registered now.

“Everyone had a fantastic night. We all enjoy it, and it’s good for harness racing. We get everyone up there, then we give a few of them a ride in the mobile. They have a great time – and sometimes you can hook them into a syndicate!”

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink