Deserved reward for popular octogenarian

Veteran horseman Ray Cross has never been one to chase harness racing records – but he admits to a certain amount of pleasure at being named Trainer of the Year at his adopted home club, Maryborough, in Victoria.

The popular 83-year-old amassed enough points across the season to hold out his rivals for the award, presented at the club’s meeting on Monday (Feb 20).

“The good thing about that is it means you’re winning races, and that’s what I’m here for.  It sure flogs the alternative,” he laughed.

“But I never count any of that.  I’m a bit superstitious about keeping count – the main thing to watch is the bank account!”

Cross and his wife Janelle made the move south from Queensland three years ago largely because of their love of the square gaiter, so to win the award at Victoria’s home of the trotter, was extra special. Overall, they had 15 wins and 30 placings for the season, including four victories at Maryborough.

“We only work three or four and they all did their share last season.  Whos Countn (Imperial Count), Alfie Always (Yankee Spider), Countess Chiron (Imperial Count) and Jessica’s Story (Imperial Count) all won races and that’s how you want it,” Cross said.

“I don’t think I have ever won a seasonal trainer’s award before.  I always raced at the big circle (Albion Park) in Queensland.  I might have won perhaps a trainer or driver of the year at (regional club) Rocklea back when it was racing, but never at Albion Park,” he said.

“Although I did win Achiever of the Year in 1988 at Albion Park and that was a $5000 travel voucher which took me to Singapore, and I’d never been there before.”

Since making the move, the couple have enjoyed their best seasons in 15 years, with the 15 wins in 2022 coming on top of the 18 in their first Victorian season, 2019-20.

In 1980s and ‘90s Ray regularly prepared between 20 and 30 winners a season, but said he’d always preferred to invest in the abilities of his younger staff rather than keep the drives for himself.

“I am not one for chasing awards, I always liked to give the drives to the lads working for me so they’d learn properly – I did miss an Albion Park driver’s award one season by just a couple of wins though!

“Awards are great, but it’s not the best thing – bringing on the next generation is important.  Often the time would crop up when I couldn’t drive and if the young ones were taught well, the horse wouldn’t know if it was them or me driving them.

“There are a fair few I taught a bit to – Kim Daley was with me for years and he’s a steward now, Tim Gillespie was invited to go overseas last year (2022 World Championship for Amateur Drivers Centennial Race in Rome) is a really good horseman, and Jurgen ‘Yogi’ Strohschon was my last apprentice before I left and he’s still training.”

Ray said the couple had made the right decision with their move south.

“People say to me do you miss the weather in Queensland.  Not really I love it here.  Up there they’ll have around 40 degrees now for five weeks, and we just get a couple of hot days here, compared to that.  And in the winter, out in the Darling Downs it’s every bit as cold as down here – it just sometimes forget to warm up during the day down here!”

Ray and Janelle continue to breed one or two foals a year, and say they’re hopeful about this season’s up-and-comers.

“We’ve got a two-year-old half-brother to Alfie Always and Whos Countn (by Centurion) and another that’s a half to Ima Calvert Rose and Jessicas Story (Aldebaran Eagle) and they’re both shaping up okay,” he said.

“You’ve got to look to the future and try to stay one jump ahead, don’t you?”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink