Brave Apache runs like the wind

All harness racing wins are special – some are just a little more special than others.

And there wasn’t a dry eye in the Attard household when well-travelled pacer Apache Wind (Four Starzzz Shark – Kamwood Elsie (Albert Albert) powered to the line at Mildura on Friday night to score his first victory in nearly two years.

The win came seven weeks after, by chance, the horse found his way back to Mildura trainer Kate Attard’s care.

“I love all my horses, but he’s just one that you love a bit more – he’s beautiful to have around the stable.  He’s just so gentle and easy, and everyone could and did learn on him,” Attard said.

“The first time I had him (in 2019) he was a four-year-old, and I trained him for a group of family friends from Port Pirie.  He wasn’t doing so great in Adelaide, and they sent him up to me to have a try,” she said.

“He had some trouble with his feet and we gave him a break, then when he came back, we changed a few things for him, and drove him differently by pushing him forward, rather than trying to sit him up, and he just responded.

“He won four out of five for us, and then ran second in that fifth race. It was a really satisfying thing to be seeing him reaching his potential.”

But Attard was seriously injured in a seemingly-innocuous post-race scramble after driving in a race at Mildura in April 2020. She suffered three fractures and multiple hairline fractures to her pelvis and injuries to her spine and “Big Windy”, as he’s known around the stables, was moved on.

“I was still in the Alfred Hospital when my dad spoke to Windy’s owners and they told him they were going to sell the horse.  At that stage we didn’t even know if I would be walking again, so that was totally understandable,” she said.

“But the day he left was heartbreaking, because I couldn’t even get out to say goodbye to him.”

Attard’s rehabilitation was slow and difficult.  She took six months to be able to bear weight and at that point she was finally able to get back to the races, strictly as a spectator.  She’s gradually increased her activity levels, and has been able to return to her profession, as an equine body work practitioner.

“I’m getting better all the time, but I’m a bit of a ‘Gai Waterhouse’ because dad (Pat Attard) has been doing all the trackwork!” Attard laughed.

“We’re back to training around eight now, but my daughter Charli and my partner Matt Keam have also been amazing during my recovery.”

Meanwhile, Apache Wind had struggled with form and health issues during his 12 months up north and had found himself stood down for unsatisfactory performances.

“About eight weeks ago I got a phone call from (Victorian driver) Jayden Brewin, who had been contacted by Windy’s trainer in Queensland, looking to sell him.  Jayden wasn’t interested, but he did tell them he thought he knew someone who would be – and got in touch with me,” Attard said.

“We couldn’t get him down here fast enough.  We knew he wasn’t well, but we just wanted him to come back.  I thought even if we couldn’t get him right to race, he would be a kind and safe horse for Charli (who’s 16) to learn on.

“He was pretty miserable when he arrived, but his transformation has been unbelievable.  Once we got his issues sorted, he was running around his paddock and kicking up his heels.

“I still can’t lift my leg higher than 45 degrees, but for the past month, I have been trying to drive one or two a week, which has been a huge lift, and Big Windy doesn’t pull, so I can drive him.

“At home in trackwork I sat behind dad and beat him easily, then he ran a great trial the week before so when we got him back to the races on Friday we knew he was ready to go.”

Taking the reins for big Windy’s comeback was Michelle Phillips, who’d already piloted the horse to victory on several occasions during his first stint at the Attard stable.

Apache Wind, sporting an unorthodox clipper cut needed to treat a skin condition, sustained a wide run from the 400-metre mark, to score a last bound victory.

Watch the replay here.

“I was screaming my lungs out. I had to apologise to everyone around me because I did get a bit carried away!” Attard joked.

“There were plenty of tears afterwards, though and Michelle was as excited as we were.   It was actually her first win back since she was injured in a race fall herself a couple of weeks ago.

“So I don’t think any of us will forget this one.  It was just a fairytale that he was able to get there for all of us.”

by Terry Gange for Harnesslink