Fin-tastic first up win for Antti

As a kid growing up in Finland, Antti Ruokonen always imagined a career training trotters – but he probably never suspected his first training win would be at Cranbourne Harness Racing Club in Victoria.

With only six starts as a trainer in his own right, Ruokonen ticked off his maiden victory with handy square-gaiter Gaelic Lad (Blitzthemcalder) in the VHRC Aldebaran Park Trot yesterday (Oct 1).

“It was very nice to get the win – I only wish I could have got it two weeks ago in the ($100K VicBred 4YO Super Series) final! But you have to start somewhere, and I was pretty happy to do that at Cranbourne,” Ruokonen said.

Cranbourne results and replays here

Since hoisting on the backpack to travel in 2017 he’s worked with a number of stables in Australia while travelling and navigating COVID-19 lockdowns.

“I’ve always been around the horses, and I miss them when I’m not with them. I grew up with both sides of my family involved in trotting,” he said.

“Both of my grandfathers were trainers and had some good success in Finland and Sweden and in France. My parents had a training stable while I was growing up.  One of my grandfathers is in his 80s and is still training and driving, and he actually got a winner this week as well!”

Ruokonen, who is 30, has worked in harness racing in Finland and Sweden and held a driver’s licence there, where the sport is exclusively for the square gaiters. He’s interspersed working in Australian stables with time back home and travels throughout Australia and in southeast Asia.

“When I came to Australia in 2017 my first job was with horses was at Amanda Turnbull’s stables.  It was great, but I couldn’t speak English and I didn’t know anything about pacers!” he laughed.

“Of course, I had more experience with trotters and did two times with Yabby Dam Farms, which was a great experience and a really good place to work,” he said.

“Even though I had done some farrier work earlier and knew about balancing trotters, I’m grateful to Anton (trainer Antony Golino) that he taught me and took my skills to the next level.  I still have a lot to learn but I’m very thankful for that.

“I moved down here to Terang at the Lees’ stables in May.  Marg, Jason and Paddy have been like family to me. Tom Rundle trains out of here as well and Glen Craven, Lochie Cook and everyone who work here are fun people to be around.

“It’s a busy place.  We work hard and maybe we have a few too many horses at the moment, but it’s a very good setup.  I can’t thank the Lee and Craven families enough for how they have welcomed me and helped me.”

Gaelic Lad was previously prepared by Terry Young, who was seriously injured in a training accident earlier this year. Gaelic Lad is now one of two horses in the care of Ruokonen and is the first trotting winner by the sensational square-gaiter Blitzthemcalder (25 wins).

His Cranbourne success was Gaelic Lad’s sixth career win for $53,000 in earnings.

“The owners contacted Marg about taking the horse, and that was around the time when I was going to be working there, so he ended up with me, which I was obviously very happy about,” Ruokonen said.

“He is a very nice horse.  He’s been a bit unlucky since he galloped from barrier one a few starts back, but I think he can still improve a little bit, now that we are back on track,” he said.

“I’ve got a driver’s licence here too, and maybe at some point I might drive a few more, but for now I will just leave the driving to the others!

“There is not much pressure to go home to train in Finland – the sport isn’t the strongest there at the moment, so I am very happy to stay here and see how I go.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink