Friends get that winning feeling!

An old friendship that began between two harness racing families in Melbourne is being renewed with winning results.

The Hoban and Taiba clans found themselves working their teams together 30 years ago and now Craig Hoban is training from the Taiba family property.

“Back in the 1990s, my late dad Gary used to train his horses out of Stan Parker’s stables at Maribyrnong and would swim them in the river that wasn’t far away,” Craig Hoban said.

“Sometimes it was six o’clock in the morning and pretty cold, but dad would strip down to his speedos and in he would go! One day the Taibas asked if dad could swim some for them, which he did.

“Ahmed was training horses back then and that’s where a very good relationship got started.

“Dad loved Lebanese food and he would meet up with Ahmed every Friday. I think this happened for probably five years.”

Craig said he and his dad would also float their horses up to the Taiba property at Sunbury and use their track.

“I remember we’d go up there before school, then after the horses had been worked, dad would get a warm bucket of water so I could have a bit of a wash before I got dressed in my uniform and he’d drop me off,” he laughed.

Now Craig is based out of that same Taiba property and recently prepared Yarra Valley (July 18) winner in Aishabeach (Somebeachsomewhere), owned by one of the Taiba brothers, Hass and named after Freddy Taiba’s daughter Aisha.

It was an outstanding training feat, with the five-year-old gelding not having been to the races for 29 months.

Driven by talented teenage reinsman Blake Pace, Aishabeach got the run of the race in the one-one and when eased three-wide at the final bend, scooted home nicely to score in two minutes.

“Blake is only 17 and his dad Darren had to drive him to the trots meeting,” Hoban said.

“Darren actually drove for dad and I back in the day, but it was Blake’s first race drive for me. He’s a nice kid who knew his form and did everything I asked.”

Hoban said as a young horse Aishabeach showed enormous ability.

“But he developed sesamoiditis and they were told to retire him. He’s a lovely horse with a good attitude and very kind, so we decided he was worth another go after having such a huge spell,” he said.

“When he came in, he was as big as an elephant, and I jogged him for probably 10 or 12 weeks just to get the weight off.  Before the win he’d had a trial at Bacchus Marsh and won but needed the run and blew up a bit.”

Craig said when his dad died in May of last year, he was lost and Ahmed and the whole family had reached out and given him the support he needed.

“It’s so good to be up and running again. I just love being around the horses—even on chilly winter mornings!” he said.

The late Gary Hoban was a respected horseman, preparing more than 219 winners, including Group One victories with former top squaregaiter Acacia Ridge (22 wins, including 15 in succession) and Liberty Jay Jay (20 wins). More recently the Hobans enjoyed success with horses including Dancingwithsierra (13 wins), Waltzingwithsierra (seven wins) and Tangoingwithsierra (six wins).

The Hoban harness racing links go back to Gary’s father the late Frank Hoban, a well-regarded trainer of the Melbourne Showgrounds racing era.

Craig said he can’t wait to breed a horse and name it “Givedadawave” in memory of his father.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink