From late night feeds to Gr 1 dreams: Tayla and Levi tackle ID25

New mum Tayla French is balancing nappies and race nights, and taking it all in her stride, as she sets her sights on harness racing’s toughest stage with Victorian Inter Dominion trotting contender Parisian Artiste.

After making a remarkable return to race driving at Melton in May when baby Levi was only four weeks old, French is now in Brisbane with her son and a four-horse team targeting the Queensland Constellations Carnival (June 14 – July 19).

French and Levi flew north at the weekend to Brisbane while her partner Alex Ashwood and stable supporter Darren Carroll, made the road trip with the couple’s four-horse team.

Ashwood has since returned to Bendigo to oversee the couple’s 20-horse operation back home, while French and her mum Kym remain in Brisbane for the next three and a half weeks.

They’re based at Albion Park, directly across from their accommodation, with Tayla’s mum on grandparent duty while Tayla works the horses each morning.

“I’m being totally spoilt with Levi. He’s a little ripper, really,” French said.

“He slept the whole flight – we went to a concert the night before, and he slept through that, too!” she said.

“Mum’s loving spending time with him while I work the horses. He adores her, so it couldn’t be better really.”

Among the travelling team are Ashwood-French owned pair Dooo Dont Think and Williams, as well as rising star Manhatten Chick, who was a last-start Bendigo winner and will now be aimed at the Queensland Oaks.

“She came to us from New South Wales just to chase a VicBred bonus, but when she won so well, we suggested to the owner we take her up here for the Oaks, and drop her back on the way home,” French said.

But all eyes are on Parisian Artiste, affectionately known around the stables as “Hector”, whose Sydney Inter Dominion campaign last year has seemingly seasoned him as a traveller.

“I think it really matured him,” French said.

“This trip to Brisbane was twice as long, but Alex and Darren did a great job stopping regularly and letting them out to stretch their legs. They’ve all arrived in great condition.”

While Parisian Artiste has drawn wide (barrier six) in Saturday’s (July 5) opening Inter Dominion heat, French isn’t fazed.

“We’re driving him cold now and using his sprint – even if he drew well, we probably wouldn’t change that,” she said.

French was a busy freelance reinswoman before taking maternity leave but has driven only Parisian Artiste since her return to race driving.

“If I’d had my way, Hector would have gone to the paddock while I couldn’t drive him! I couldn’t wait to get back in the cart behind him, and I’m really looking forward to this campaign,” she said.

“I’m not so sure about driving the others up here, because I’ll be strapping the horses on my own on race nights, so we’ll just have to see how it works out.”

For Saturday night’s Albion Park fields, click here 

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink