Tayla showing fine touch in teal

Victorian harness racing reinswoman Tayla French is undoubtedly in a purple patch of form – and certainly making her presence felt in her State’s Team Teal tally.

French has piloted home 15 winners since the start of February, the most of any female driver in the State for the Harness Racing Victoria Team Teal promotion to raise awareness and funds for women with ovarian cancer.

“I think it might be a ‘teal patch’ not a purple patch!” French joked.

“But I couldn’t be happier because it’s such a good cause and if you’re getting wins, that’s always a good thing.”

Across Victoria and New Zealand, female drivers are competing in Teal pants for the promotion period, from February 1 to March 15, and for every winner they drive, harness racing authorities and the TAB are paying $400 to the WomenCan Fundraising campaign.

The past week of the campaign has been the biggest yet, with 72 wins for reinswomen in Australia and New Zealand, bringing the total to 281. SA’s Danielle Hill led the way with 10 winners for the week.

The 13th annual Night at the Trots fundraiser also took place on Saturday night at Tabcorp Park Melton, with entertainment, racing, a three-course meal and silent auctions. The night was capped off with wins by Victorian Team Teal Ambassadors Jackie Barker and Kate Gath.

The Team Teal promotion aims to not only raise funds, but awareness about ovarian cancer. The five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer in Australia is currently only 48 percent and in New Zealand it’s just 37 percent.

New South Wales, which also pays the partnership Team Teal contribution for female trainers, as well as drivers, is leading the points table, with 110 wins by female drivers for February. Victoria is second, on 71 wins, Qld 42, WA 9, South Australia 33 and Tasmania six.

The fundraiser is only $600 short of the $100,000 mark, with nearly two weeks still to run.

“It’s a great cause and we all enjoy being involved in it every year,” French said.

“It gets pretty competitive, but I always think that if you go okay in your first drive in the teal pants, you have a good campaign. And I was happy when I got a double at Mildura on the first night, so I’m feeling good.”

French and her partner, trainer Alex Ashwood, are busy building a new training complex at Axedale, near Bendigo, featuring a 1000m track, which they hope to complete by mid-year.

French is arguably driving in perhaps the finest touch of her career and is relishing the prospect of the return of her favorite horse, square gaiter Parisian Artiste.

Parisian Artiste gave French her first Group One success last year, which was her best ever season, with 69 wins (seven metro) and 110 placings for over $577K in stakes.

“Parisian Artiste came back into work on Tuesday and he will have a couple of runs, then be hopefully targeting some of the bigger races later in the year,” French said.

“He’s currently being jogged up for us and we’ll have him back in a month or so. Alby and I are pretty fortunate, with where we train here at the Bendigo (Lords Raceway) complex and the staff we have, but we need a bit more room than we can have here.

“But we couldn’t really be happier with how things are going at the moment.”

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink