Love all around for Kaylene

Kaylene Ward was wearing a deep gash under helmet as she guided Lovenus (Love You) onto the harness racing track to contest the Aldebaran Park Trot at Maryborough yesterday. 

The injury was courtesy of the five-year-old mare who took exception to Ward tinkering with her leg earlier in the week. 

“I reached down to check something and she bit me,” Ward said. 

“It wouldn’t stop bleeding so I ended up getting stitches put in,” she said. 

All is forgiven after Lovenus broke her maiden status in impressive fashion giving Ward, a track attendant at Melton, her first win in the sulky since she partnered Shaken Steven to win at Terang in 1994. 

Lovenus travelled well behind the leader before Ward peeled to the outside on straightening and the daughter of Love You careered away in the home stretch to score by 17 metres in a mile rate of 1:59.3 for the 1690 metre stand. 

Lovenus arrived in the Ward stable in early December following a conversation with leading reinsman Nathan Jack. 

“Nathan and I get on well and one day I asked him to keep an eye out for a trotter that I could lease, “she said. 

“She was for sale in the Trading Ring and then a week later Nathan rang and told me that I could lease her.” 

It was anything but love at first sight as Lovenus adjusted to her new surroundings. 

“When she arrived she wouldn’t have a bar of me for the first couple of weeks,” she said. 

A couple of months later Ward purchased the mare. 

“I thought that I do all the work with her and she showed a bit, so I bought her,” she said. 

Recently, Ward decided to take the reins herself behind Lovenus. 

“She can get a bit rocky around the turns and my mother told me that I should drive her and then Nathan said the same thing as I know her better than anyone else, so I thought what have I got to lose,” she said. 

Ward showed plenty of patience as the leaders attempted to put a gap in their rivals down the back. 

“You can’t let her go and you have to nurse her and I knew if I could get her out then she would trot home strongly, because she seems to find another gear at the 600,” she said. 

Lovenus has quickly become a family project with Ward’s father Peter lending a helping hand. 

“I work full time so Dad feeds her and does a bit of work with her,” she said. 

Ward believes Lovenus is thriving on the attention she receives in a one horse stable. 

“She gets a lot of TLC and I could never sell her as she has become part of the family,” she said. 

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink