Horsepower to give Tara helping hand

A big band of supporters including a leading South Australian harness racing identity are rallying to back a popular teenager facing the biggest fight of her life.

Tara Winston, 18, has been diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma and has undergone four sessions of chemotherapy in her first month of treatment for the disease.

With the help of family friend Graeme Green, bubbly Tara is now a part-owner of former New Zealand bay gelding Fireball (Mach Three).

“We own a small share in the pacer which is being trained by Aaron Bain,” Green said.

“Along with my daughters Sharna and Shanice, and my partner Keyona, we are hoping that letting Tara join forces with us in racing the horse, it will keep her spirits high,” he said.

“I remember once at a birthday party she was asking me about the pros and cons of racing a horse, so we’re hoping the fun will be a major distraction for her and her family.

“I guess we wanted to find something else for them to focus on and I’ve found that having horses can be relaxing and quite therapeutic.”

Green said he learnt of Tara’s plight through his work at the railways with her father Paul.

“I got in touch with harness racing personality Rocky Butterworth, and it just went from there that well-known trainer Aaron Bain would be approached,” he said.

“Aaron was so supportive and just wanted to help out. He embraced the idea of having Tara in the ownership.

“We have a five percent share and we’d planned to give Tara half of our share—but Aaron was so generous and agreed to match that.

“I called up her dad who put his phone on loudspeaker when we told her. I congratulated Tara on joining the owners in a horse, she was ecstatic.”

Trainer and ownership group manager Aaron Bain, who has interests in 190 harness racing and racehorses across Australia, involving 1200 owners, said he’d been only too happy to jump on board.

“We’re doing all the paperwork now to get Tara’s name officially added to the owners’ list and into the racebooks – and hopefully on the photographs,” Bain said.

“We’re also applying to Harness Racing South Australia to register a special set of racing colors with ‘Tara’s Journey’ embossed on them – hopefully it will be a bit special for Tara to see those going around on the horse, once they are approved.”

Green said he had a horse in the 90’s, but when the kids came along, that venture wound up.

“I’ve been only involved again over the past two years, but it’s snowballed a bit and I’ve been in about 15, but it’s been terrific,” he said.

“I reckon I’ve got the Midas touch because I haven’t had a bad one since getting back into it. I got my first Melbourne winner in Peakz Luck (Peak DNK), trained by Andy Gath, and then Bottle Rock (Betterthancheddar) gave me my first country Victorian victory at Mildura. We’ve also had a G2 win in Perth.

“I’m always trying to get others involved because I find no matter how things are going, when I go to the races, it’s a new day. I don’t go in big, but it’s cheaper to do the horses than if I was a drinker or a smoker.”

Green said it was hoped Tara could get out to Globe Derby to see her horse run – and hopefully win – when the weather warms up.

“No-one deserves to go through what she’s got on at the moment. But she’s upbeat and with the support of a loving family and friends, she’s in for the fight.”

Tara and her dad will be special guests at this Friday night’s Aaron Bain Racing Gala Ball featuring multiple Melbourne Cup winning jockey Glen Boss. The event at the Gawler Jockey Club is celebrating one year of dual-code racing for the ABR group.

The harness racing community is encouraged to follow the Facebook page “Tara’s Journey.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink