The best day at the best track for Nick

Victorian trainer-driver Nick Beale says a win at the “best harness racing track in the world” yesterday (Nov 9) was a dream come true.

Beale, who drives only occasionally, accepted the drive in a concession driver’s feature race for his boss David Miles on Yarra Valley Cup Day – and handled Enstein (Modern Art) to perfection to record the three-year-old’s second career win.

“It’s definitely a dream come true for me.  I used to come here all the time when I was younger and I always wanted to one day win a race on Yarra Glen Cup Day – and now I have,” a thrilled Beale said.

“I don’t care what anyone says this is the best track in the world, with the hills and blue sky, it’s beautiful. I spent plenty of Melbourne Cup days here growing up, and in this industry, everyone is mates and everyone congratulates you and is happy for you.  It couldn’t get any better,” he said.

“Hopefully one day I will be here winning the Yarra Valley Cup, but I’ll take this one for now!”

Beale has had less than 50 starts as a driver since gaining his licence a little over 12 months ago, and winning at his first ever start.

The second and third wins have been at his past two drives on Enstein, first at Geelong last month, before the Yarra Valley success in a race for drivers with fewer than 25 wins.

Beale settled the pacer into the one-out-two-back position, and gave him a soft run, but Enstein appeared all out of tickets going down the back straight the final time.  The 25-year-old reinsman saved his run for 300 metres from home, and Enstein ran home stoutly in the straight for a two metre victory.

“That’s just him.  He is a tricky horse, but that’s his pattern, he’s established that.  He has a little bit of speed and a little bit of strength, and good gate speed.  But sometimes if you use him just that little bit too much at the start he can’t finish off, and sometimes if you give him a soft run, he will con you into thinking he’s got more left than he has and you go too early,” he said.

“But he has got a lot of heart and tries his heart out. If you are patient on him, he’s a very nice horse.”

Beale has worked for David Miles on and off for the past nine years after doing a school-based apprenticeship at the stable.

“David is a good mate and has been a great supporter of mine.  It’s not just me.  He is happy to give anyone a shot and support anyone in the industry,” Beale said.

“There’s four of us there full time, including my partner Kaitlin Boddy, and there’s around 30 horses in work almost all the time at David’s.  Kaitlin and I work a small team of our own as well.  I love the training side of it. The driving side is not so much of a priority – I definitely love doing it but I don’t feel the necessity like I do with training.”

Beale grew up in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Greensborough.  His dad Gary was a breeder and owner, his uncle Glenn a trainer and his grandfather Bob Beale trained in the 1960s.  Nick’s great uncle Jimmy drove smart mare Racy Rita in the early 1980s.

“I grew up watching VHS tapes and looking at race photos and in high school, I’d skip classes to come out to the Yarra Glen trots because that was our closest track. I’d go to the trials at Yarra Glen every Sunday with my dad.  I loved it,” he said.

“I always get race photos of the winners I train, but not necessarily the ones I drive.  But I definitely ordered the photo this time – it was pretty special,” he said.

For complete race results, click here.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink