Big shoes to fill, but she’s up and away!

The youngest sister of a respected and well-known harness racing family makes no secret that she has big shoes to fill.

Lisa Bartley, 27, recently obtained her trainer’s licence and is based at Shepparton with a small team.

“If I can do half as good as Bec and Ellen I’ll be doing okay. I’d be really happy,” Lisa said.

Bec is part of the Steve O’Donoghue/Bec Bartley training partnership and has competed at the highest level, through the deeds of the now retired San Carlo. Ellen has established a formidable team with partner Blake Jones at Narrandera.

Lisa said it was really a no-brainer to get her trainer’s licence with her partner Mark (Pitt) away driving more and more at race meetings. Pitt is red hot property at the moment, enjoying a sensational season as a key driver for the powerful Emma Stewart/Clayton Tonkin stable as well as others.  He recently topped the “tonne” for the season.

“It boiled down to that I take on training duties, or we think of sending a few to someone else,” Lisa said.

“Mark is around early in the week, but then he’s off driving at day meetings and sometimes that same night later in the week,” she said.

“I think he decided he’d take a back-seat and encouraged me to get my trainer’s licence.”

Harness racing is in the Bartley family’s blood, with all three of the sisters following in the footsteps of their father David, who was a passionate hobby trainer for a long time. Ellen holds family bragging rights this season with 25 wins and 27 placings, while older sister Bec has five wins and 21 placings.

Lisa hasn’t wasted any time in getting into the winner’s circle, though, with High Flying Harry (Bettors Delight) and Just Ralph (Changeover) both winning at Shepparton in her first eight starts as a trainer.

“Harry is a nice horse and Jordie (Leedham) drove him well,” Lisa said.

“But I was so excited when Jordan (Chibnall) got the money on Just Ralph (owned by Mark’s mother Leanne and Lisa). Mark had sacked the horse about 100 times and in the end, he just said to me it was my turn to have a go.

“I don’t think he thought there was much hope. While I was thrilled to win, I think it was more relief. I felt like I’d just won an Inter Dominion! I’m hoping I can keep using Jordan as the horse went nice for her.”

Chibnall and her partner Conor Crook recently shifted from Tasmania to make Shepparton their home.

Lisa and Mark are currently based at the Steve O’Donoghue complex at Kialla and their stable team of five includes several horses from enthusiastic Riverina owner Michael Boots.

While it’s Lisa’s first foray as a trainer, she did drive in races for several seasons as a junior getting a concession lift.

“I probably drove for three years—I did enjoy it, but I don’t think I will ever go back to it,” she said.

“I had a bit of a soft spot for a horse trained by Amanda Turnbull named Majordan (the pair had three wins together, including two metro races), and there was also a trotter I loved driving for the Aiken stable called Aimforthemoon (Angus Hall) (the pair had four wins).”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink