Sisters striding towards bigger things

Harness racing devotees Alexandra Hurley and her sister Fran still have a laugh now and again as to how they managed to acquire superbly-bred trotter Tiara Stride (Amore Stride).

“It was all Fran’s fault because she was the one who spotted the horse listed on an on-line auction in October last year,” laughed Alexandra, who owns and trains at a Bolinda property, near Melbourne, with her husband Paul Hodgson.

“At the end of the auction, no-one had put in a bid. Fran was very keen and I said to her okay put one in—we were near the reserve price so we went again and ended up being successful at just $3000,” Alexandra said.

“Emilio Rosati bred and owned her and Mark Hayes, who breaks in his horses, had given Tiara Stride her first five race starts.  He told us he liked her, but he thought she just needed more time,” she said.

“Mark was really helpful and was one of the first to congratulate us when we got the win.  He also warned us that Tiara Stride could be a bit seasonal in the warmer summer months—and he was spot-on there! She can get really cranky and often roars out at other horses.”

The chilly winter weather does appear to be to Tiara Stride’s liking, because she has won two of her last three starts at Kilmore and Geelong. She is rated a $4.80 chance tonight (Aug 19) at Bendigo in the Aldebaran Park Trot.

Alexandra said after they purchased the square-gaiter, they sent her to well-known trotting trainer Brent Lilley.

“Brent is just down the road from us. He did all the hard work with her, and he was terrific,” she said.

“She ran three placings and then came out and won at Kilmore. It was only weeks before the end of the season, but we got the full VicBred bonus which was lovely.”

After a couple of starts in season 2022, Lilley suggested Alexandra train the horse herself.

“We’ve had a heap of fun with her.  Although I have to admit I kind of watched with my eyes closed when she won at Geelong last start!” she said.

“She just gets out there and wants to run from the start. I think she was probably 60 metres out in front at one stage. But I said to Greg (driver Greg Sugars) there’s no point in fighting her. If we run along early, the others have to make up the ground.”

Alexandra grew up in a legendary South Australian harness racing family.

“I’d be at the stables with my pop (Tony Hurley) and dad (Joe) and my uncle Jim used to shoe the horses.  They would all tell some colorful stories.  There was also two other brothers, Eric and Frank.”

Alexandra first took out a trainer’s licence in the 1990s but when she and husband Paul made the move to Victoria it was nearly 20 years before she held a licence again.

“Paul came over for a holiday and landed a job with (another former South Australian) John Justice who had a big team in work and some champions like Shakamaker (Bookmaker) and Safe And Sound (Safely Kept),” she said.

“Then Paul went to work with Lloyd Williams racing. Nowadays he helps out at Brent Lilley’s stables.”

Hurley said in recent years, they hadn’t considered moving into training themselves, leaving it to Lilley and Bendigo horseman Graham McDermott.

“Then when we moved into Reg Trevean’s old place, which is on 40 acres, with a track, barn and paddocks, it all changed.” (Trevean, who had some outstanding horses like Lord Greystoke (Tarzan Blue Chip), is still training in SA.)

Alexandra and Paul now have a team of five or six in work, but Alexandra has hinted that it’s likely Tiara Stride may be retired soon.

“She was the first winner sired by Amore Stride and we see her as an exciting stud prospect with million-dollar winners right through the family. She is out of the all-American bred broodmare Nitengale Stride (Cantab Hall), which has proven to an outstanding purchase for Emilio. He really has a great eye for a horse,” she said.

Tiara Stride, a 2016 foal, is a half-sister to Monarch Stride (Muscle Hill), which has three wins, five places from 15 starts and the brilliant Courage Stride (Muscle Hill) with six wins, seven places from 15 starts. Both are prepared by Chris Lang.

Then follows unraced filly Satin Stride (Muscle Hill); a Father Patrick-sired colt and another colt by Muscle Hill. Nitengale Stride is now in foal to nine times winner Elite Stride (Muscle Hill).

“We will sit down and decide what stallions may be best suited for Tiara Stride. I’m leaning toward a European or USA sire, but we’ll see,” Alexandra said.

Alexandra said her and Fran were still pinching themselves how everything has fallen into place.

“I think we were in the right place at the right time,” she said.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink