Hot to trot – but Cleave isn’t fully converted yet!

The writing is on the wall for jovial Lancefield harness racing identity Steve Cleave – 2026 could well be his biggest year yet.

Cleave recently celebrated his 50th birthday in style, hosting a housewarming party with 90 guests who were treated to an unexpected highlight – his marriage to partner Lorraine Holtzhausen.

“It was just a brilliant day. We kept the wedding as a surprise,” Cleave said.

And while life away from the track is thriving, so too is the stable providing some pleasant surprises – thanks largely, and somewhat unexpectedly, to two square-gaiters.

“I’m far from fully converted and I’ll be keeping the pacers.  We’ve got two in work, and two to come back in,” Cleave said.

Although he has had more than 80 wins as a trainer, With Aplomb (Wishing Stone) delivered Cleave his first win with a square gaiter in December – with pacer-turned-trotter La Lune Noire (A Rocknroll Dance) providing him with a second string to his bow soon after.

The pair represent something of a “full-circle” moment for Cleave.

“I haven’t raced a trotter since I was a 19-year-old and when it galloped at both of its two starts. I said at the time that was it for me and trotters – I was sticking with the pacers!” Cleave said.

That was until November when former well-known studmaster Roy Spencer, who now lives in Queensland, approached Cleave to send him With Aplomb to race in the Trotting VicBreds.

“I didn’t think getting ‘Pebbles’ would lead to much long-term,” Cleave said.

“I thought that I’d only have her for those two starts so I decided I wasn’t changing a thing!

“But when I looked up her gear form, I realised I was in trouble – because the previous trainer had her in half hopples and trotting boots. I was a bit unprepared!

“I didn’t want to buy anything new, just for that short time I thought I’d have her, so I put out an SOS to (trainer) Lisa Miles, who’s a good friend, and she came to the rescue with a set of work hopples and boots.”

With Aplomb finished a handy fourth at Kilmore in her heat before being checked in the run when 10th in the Melton final.  She bounced back to win at her next start a week later, and has since recorded three wins and two placings from her past six starts.

Prior to her breakthrough win at Maryborough, Cleave sensed something was building.

“She really jumped out of the ground and it was a surprise to me. It was a proud moment getting my first trotting win as a trainer – with only my fifth trotting starter,” he said.

“After that I rang Lisa and told her thanks for her borrowed gear and I’d be buying my own now!”

Cleave is adamant the turnaround is courtesy of the couple’s picturesque Nulla Vale property near Lancefield – complete with a 1000-metre hill track.

“On one section there’s a 600m stretch with a 12 and a half metre incline. She has just thrived on the hill – she gets to the bottom and grabs the bit and charges,” he said.

“I always give them a bit of time to settle into it. I don’t throw them in the deep end and we never get to full speed. I’ve found the track’s so good for their joints.”

Cleave said he encouraged the owner to put one of his long-time mates, John Caldow, in the sulky.

“I worked for John when I was 15 or 16 years old. I hadn’t been in the sulky for a bit and you won’t find a better driver than John. The only problem is that now I can’t get back on!” Cleave joked.

And for a late-starter, Cleave is certainly finding his way with the trotting code.

La Lune Noire – originally sent to the stable as a pacer – produced a strong staying performance to score at Bendigo in the Forty Winks Vicbred Voucher 3yo Maiden Trot.

The mare is out of the accomplished broodmare Lierre Noir (Bettors Delight), whose pacing progeny include Classicmajor (12 wins, 20 placings, $99K), Tomahawk Bart (7 wins, 19 placings, $132K) and Larvotto Beach (5 wins, 6 placings, $39K).

“As a pacer, La Lune Noire never wanted to go on the training track and you had to hunt her all the time,” he said.

“I was probably nearly at the point of sacking her and decided to take off the hopples and give her more galloping. She was a completely different horse and just wanted to trot.

“It was pretty exciting to see her win at only her second race start –  John (Caldow) didn’t move a muscle and won nicely.”

Cleave admits he’s been on the receiving end of plenty of jibes about “changing to the dark side” by training trotters.

“We’ve gone from none to three because there’s also a 2yo younger sister to With Aplomb. I know they can test your patience, but we’re enjoying the success while it’s coming.”

by  Terry Gange for Harnesslink