Region racing is a winner for Andrew

Mildura trainer-driver Andrew Stenhouse is loving the opportunities Victoria's regional harness racing model is presenting to the lesser lights of the industry – especially after chalking up his first win as a driver in nearly 10 years last week!

The enthusiastic trainer has been involved with horses most of his life, but renewed his driver's licence only last year.

The recent victory took Andrew to a career tally of four – but it's a fair bet to say that he won't be taking so long before his fifth victory is posted.

"I can't say I ever expected to be getting as many driving opportunities as I am, but I'm absolutely loving it," Stenhouse said.

"The regional racing model, especially here in Mildura is quite different, but it's giving local horses a great go, local participants a fair go, and I think we're all enjoying the change, for the time being," he said.

And he's certainly right in his assessment that there have been some quiet achievers who've come to the fore at Mildura. Although the far north west Victorian club has quite a number of established local professional trainers there are few, if any, race drivers who would be classified in the professional ranks, with the meetings generally dominated by the "pro drivers" coming in from South Australia and Central Victoria.

Under the COVID-19 racing model, horses and driving ranks are confined to locals only, currently with a choice of 15 drivers. And with two of the most experienced, Boris Devcic and Andrew Vozlic both spending time on the sidelines at the inception of the regional racing concept, the lesser lights have made their mark.

Personal milestones have tumbled. Dwayne Locke has chalked up his first Victorian treble, former Broken Hill trainer-driver Shane Smith landed his first Victorian double, then, later in the same night, made it his first Victorian treble. Local stalwart Danny Weinert notched up his first double and Merbein South driver Kathy Watson is shaping up for one of her best seasons. Sandra O'Connor has been one of the region's leading trainers in recent seasons, but made a comeback to the driving ranks, scoring her first win in the cart since 2017.

In fact, of the 15 eligible drivers in the North West Region, 12 have scored at least one win.

Stenhouse says, as a former Mildura Committeeman, he was pleased just to see racing continuing, but loving the x-factor that the Region Racing model was bringing.

"My last winner as a driver was in Broken Hill in December 2010 and I've really just been happy to do the training and let (partner) Dwayne (Locke) do the driving," he said.

"But we had a couple of horses in the same class, so I decided to get my licence back and I was enjoying just helping out a few trainers at the trials when they needed a driver and having the occasional race drive when it worked out.

"But it was mind-boggling when COVID-19 started…I went from having maybe one or two steers at a meeting to all of a sudden there were people on the phone wanting me to drive their horses and having four or five at a meeting, one race to the next.

"I have always studied the form pretty well. I like to go through the fields to look at how things might pan out, but it's the next level at the moment!"

Born and raised at Broken Hill, in Western New South Wales, Stenhouse can thank his grandfather Jack Palmer for introducing him to horses from the age of five – although not of the standardbred kind.

"Pop had an old showjumper that everyone around town used to ride and compete in the shows and the pony club, and I gradually got involved too," he said.

"Then when the pony club went by the wayside, I eventually got involved with a few local harness racing trainers, including Mick Vinall, Tony Camilleri, Geoff Mobbs and Shane Smith.

"Pop always told me that you listen to everyone, and everyone has something to tell you. That's definitely been my experience and all those blokes were happy to pass on what they knew."

Andrew and Dwayne moved from Broken Hill to Rochester, then based themselves at Mildura, midway between their two families, about seven years ago.

"Dwayne's family is in the sport and my mum and dad (Margaret and Colin Stenhouse) got interested and have bred some of our horses. They love getting to the track when we have horses in and they were the first on the phone when I got the winner the other night!

"Winning is always a buzz, but our involvement in the sport is more about the people that you meet and talk to. We don't have much of a social life, other than with other racing people, so that's the best part of it.

"It's heaps of fun at the moment, and I'm loving it, but I'll be just as happy to go back to spending most of my time on the sidelines when it's all over!"

Terry Gange

NewsAlert PR Mildura