Family pinup boy does it again

Victorian trainer Ashley Taylor has only one horse to work – but that’s no measure of the fun he and his family derive from his harness racing passion.

Their stable star Gozo Courage (Courage Under Fire) gave the Taylors plenty to celebrate when the six-year-old broke through for his fourth career victory at Ballarat last week (Sept 1).

Despite close up placings at four of his previous six starts, when he was unable to get clear runs, Gozo Courage was sent out a $71 chance in the Crossroads Trading Pace.

“He’s been racing well and working well at home.  He was pretty unlucky his previous two, so I thought he was a bit of a chance – but you never know how the rest of the field’s going either,” Taylor said.

Gozo Courage once more sat behind the leader and again it appeared he would be luckless courtesy of Ballarat’s lack of a sprint lane – but the opening did come for reinsman Connor Clarke only 50 metres from the finish line and the pacer finished too strongly to snatch a half neck victory.

“It was great to get the win – it’s a good feeling!  And the horse has steadily been on the improve, I think, so hopefully he can go on and win us a few more,” Taylor said.

Taylor, who is a bricklayer, races Gozo Courage in partnership with his brother Chris, who is also a stable hand and involved in the day-to-day work at the stable.

“Chris is a great back up for me because I work full time and with family commitments there’s a lot to fit in – we both just love the horses and the social side of the sport and we’ve made a lot of friends over the years,” Chris said.

“My wife Kate sees the fun we all get from it, and our kids Neve, Flynn and Isla, who are 10, eight and six all just love the horses and getting down to the stables when they can as well.”

Taylor said he’d never been far from horses in his life.

“My mum was a Duffy – Des, Phillip and Leigh all lived around here at Dunnstown, so horses were part of her life,” he said.

“Then when I was young, mum began babysitting for a couple of local teachers, Graeme and Marie Young, who had a horse or two – so I would end up going off to the trots with them!

“I first started driving horses when I was 12 or 13, then got my trainer’s license in my early 20s.

“We’ve got a small setup at home with a track and stables, and we’re only 15 minutes from Bray Raceway at Ballarat, so it’s pretty good for us.

“Gozo Courage is the only one I am training at the moment and I only train what I can comfortably fit in around everything else.  I have had one or two more at times, but it’s just him at the moment.

“He’s a lovely horse, perfect for us, because he is nice and quiet and gentle enough for the kids to enjoy him.”

And that might not be the end of the matter for the Taylors and horses.

“I did take the kids to the Come and Try Pony Trots Day at Ballarat a couple of weeks back and they’re very keen, so we will see where that ends up,” Taylor laughed.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink