What a wonderful week – and a wedding to come!

Weeks don’t get much better than this one for Riverina harness racing trainer Ellen Bartley and her soon-to-be husband Blake Jones.

A Menangle winner, Ellen’s 30^th birthday, and the couple’s wedding tomorrow will be the culmination of a week and month to remember.

And front and centre has been their little “lucky charm”, pacer Ella’s Reason (For a Reason), who took out the Waratah Series Final at Menangle last Saturday night (Sept 9).

“That Menangle win was perfect – what a great way to kick off my 30^th and our wedding week!” an elated Bartley said.

“Ella’s Reason has just been an absolute little ripper – she really hasn’t got a blemish to her. Very easy-going and very honest.  She’s just a beauty.”

Blake was away at a wedding in Cairns and unable to make the trip to Menangle with Ellen on Saturday, but was pleased to leave the driving duties to the couple’s good friend Cam Hart.

“Cam was pretty excited to get the win for us and I was over the moon – I planted a big kiss on his cheek afterwards, which I don’t think he was expecting!”

Ella’s Reason has been the stable star since being purchased by Bartley in June.  The five-year-old has recorded five wins (two at metropolitan level) and two runner-up performances – netting in excess of $40,000 in stakes and two free services.

“I was just so pleased to get that win – she’s definitely helped the wedding fund along in a big way!” Bartley laughed.

“We got another win during the week, too with the old favorite Tygerphinn (Dawn Ofa New Day) (he’s won 14 races for Bartley) which I also own.  He wasn’t going to be left out of the fun!”

The huge month for the couple started off on the right foot, with Bartley training her 300^th winner on September 1 with Pirani Princess (For A Reason) at Riverina Paceway at Wagga Wagga.

But despite all that’s happening in their lives, work continues with barely a pause at the Bartley-Jones stable, which currently has 16 horses in work.

They won’t have time for pre-wedding jitters with two starters at today’s (Sept 15) Wagga meeting in Tygerphinn and Island Bouhinia – and they will be back at the track again at Leeton on Tuesday with Tygerphinn and Ellas Reason.

Fortunately, there’s not much travel time to factor in for the wedding celebrations – at the Narrandera Racing Club, just a couple of hundred metres from the couple’s home!

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink