A double written in the stars

Jenni Lewis is well known in harness racing circles through the wonderful work she does at the Gippsland Harness Training Centre.

But she also excels at her other passion-as a trainer in her own right.

Lewis, who trains at Warragul, cheered home half-brothers Celestial Gossip and Celestial Trekker at last week’s eight-race Cranbourne fixture.

“We thought Gossip would go okay, but the win by Trekker was a bit unexpected. I’ve had three or four other doubles at Geelong and Cranbourne over the years, but it’s always nice to get another one,” she said.

Both pacers were handled by close friend and in-form driver Michelle Phillips.

Celestial Trekker (Safari-Celestial Diamond (Getting It Right) took out the Downbytheseaside Standing @ Woodlands Stud Pace, while Celestial Gossip (Tell All-Celestial Diamond (Getting It Right) was successful in the Nutrien Equine Pace.

The win by Celestial Trekker was an eye-catcher, as the nine-year-old swooped wide around the final bend out and knuckled down to get the money by five metres in 1.58-1. He’s now posted eight wins and 14 placings from 69 starts for $48,000.

Lewis said the pacer returned to South Australia for a three-month stint late last year and ran two placings.

“Trekker didn’t do his best over there, but he can be tricky at times. He gets sensitive at little things that can put him off his game,” she said.

“Both him and Gossip were bred by Steven Byrne and his brother Michael, who are from SA.”

Lewis said the victory by Celestial Gossip was overdue, with the seven-year-old placed in five of his previous eight starts.

“His form has been good in some strong fields and when Michelle worked to an early lead, that was the key. He just won’t sit nicely in the death-seat and there’s no holding him back.”

Celestial Gossip took his career record to nine wins and 28 placings from 88 race starts for over $77,000.

Lewis said she’d had the two horses all along.

“There’s not much between them and hopefully they can keep racing consistently.”

The Lewis-Phillips partnership, which has seen quite a number of wins registered, goes back to six or seven years ago when Phillips opted to attend the training school.

The talented reinsperson obtained an internship to go to the Centre – the first person to receive the honor. She graduated in 2016. Phillips has since driven 173 winners and 362 placings for $1.3M in stakes.

The 24-year-old, who began race driving in the 2017/18 season, would undoubtedly have among her favorites the Group 3 victory by Sebs Choice in the $30K Crown three-year-old colts/geldings silver pace in November last year.

Phillips was working for outstanding training couple Deb and Gary Quinlan and it was them who encouraged her to attend the Harness Racing Training Centre.

Passionate Gippsland identity Des Hughes was the inaugural manager in 1997. Lewis took over the role more than seven years ago.

“I got involved in the sport when I lived in South Australia. I would be at the Gawler stables of Trevor Lucas every spare moment, while my late mum Merilyn would go a bit further down the road and jog horses for Bob and Daphne Sweet. They had a house and stables opposite the old Gawler track,” Lewis said.

“After I moved to Victoria to live, I graduated from the Training Centre in 2001/02.”

While Lewis hasn’t raced a lot of horses over the years, she has 38 wins to her name along with 95 placings. October/November of 2008 saw a purple patch to remember when she prepared square-gaiter Billy Royle (Roydon Boy-Ivy Jean (Red Coach Glory) to win three Group 3 events. Champion reinswoman Kerryn Manning was the victorious driver.

The Harness Training Centre offers a number of options for graduates and over the years, hundreds have passed through the doors. This year, eight full-time attendees have signed up, although this is expected to increase, while another course for school children to attend one day each week is full.

Tomorrow night the Lewis/Phillips combination will be at the Geelong meeting with the two last-start Cranbourne victors-Celestial Gossip and Celestial Trekker.

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink