Bec’s friends rally and, surprise, surprise!

Cheerful Victorian trainer Bec Wardlaw has put a run of outs behind her – but she’s the first to pay credit to family, friends and the harness racing community for an emotional and long-overdue win.

Wardlaw was rushed to Ballarat Base Hospital with appendicitis last Tuesday – the day before the Maryborough meeting, and watched from her hospital bed as her square gaiter Surprise To Me sat behind the leader and scored a half-head sprint-lane win.

“It was my first win in three years! I watched the race just before they took me in for surgery and it was just surreal,” Wardlaw said.

“Surprise To Me (Used To Me – Galleons Surprise (King Conch) has finished second five times this season and third and fourth at his other three starts, so it took a while to sink even after I came back out of the surgery that we really had won!”

Wardlaw, who trains one or two horses on the family farm at Avoca and also runs the town’s Post Office, said the fact that Surprise To Me got to the races at all that day was a credit to the amazing community around her.

“I think that’s the thing I love best about this sport. The people around you. It never ceases to amaze me, and it doesn’t matter who you are in this game, people will just pitch in to help out someone who needs a hand,” she said.

“To have so many people do something to help me out was just so humbling – and to get a win, it was amazing. I think for me that’s the biggest thrill about it, and the more I think about it, the happier I am!”

Wardlaw said she’d been feeling off-color for a few weeks, but because there had been a lot of gastro in the community she didn’t think too much about it.

“But on the Tuesday, I just got so much worse, I had to go home from work sick, and then I had to call an ambulance.

“My husband Steve rallied our daughters and some friends to help run the post office and make sure the mail got out and that side of things was taken care of, and I told my daughter Jody, who also has a trainer’s licence, she would have to scratch Surprise To Me.

“But she wasn’t having any of that! Between her and (Maryborough trainer-driver) Mark Hayes and his wife Sue, they did everything to get the horse there, race him and get the win.

“Mark and Sue are just an amazing couple. Truly nothing is ever too much trouble for them when someone needs a hand and I have so much respect for them.”

Wardlaw said she was taught to drive by Hayes and then took out her trainer’s licence 16 years ago.

“I wasn’t raised in harness racing – I always loved horses and had ridden, but it was my sister Katherine (Koenen) who got me into this sport. She was one of the first students to go through the Bendigo Harness Racing Training School,” Wardlaw said.

“Steve’s family always had a horse or two – he’s not so hands on, but he will drive us anywhere to be at a race meeting. Mark also taught our daughters to drive and our youngest Jody and our eldest Tammy both have trainer’s licences. Tammy has also done Clerk of course work before having her family and our middle daughter Jessica is also very horsey as well. We all just love it.”

It’s been a tough couple of years for the family, who only recently tragically lost the last foal of their late sire Armbro Variable.

“I’ve had some health issues in the past couple of years, as well as struggling to get the horses winning – but again, it’s those great people around you. (Trainers) Adam Stephens and Damien Burns have been fantastic support and they kept me trying when I was at the point of giving up,” she said.

“Now Mark and Sue are also giving me a hand while I am on the sidelines with our other horse, who I think is a promising little trotter. Buckles (Sebastian K – Salls) has had a couple of starts and I think plenty of ability, but he’s just a bit naughty! I think if we can sort that out, we will have some fun with him.”

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink