Long road trips north are paying dividends

Harness racing has taken Victorian trainer Michael Coulter around the world – but right now he’s reaping the rewards from regular road trips to the far northwest of the State.

Toolern Vale-based Coulter, who has been a buyers’ agent, foreman, trainer and driver over the years, stepped back into the training game as a hobbyist mid last year after 30-year hiatus – and from just 25 starts, he has nine wins and six placings to his name.

Leading the charge has been seven-year-old mare Beejays Star (Follow The Stars), who has won eight races since September last year, all of which have been at Mildura, after being purchased from Western Australia in 2022.

“She’d won a few races and was from a good family, her grand dam (Sovereign Beejay) won nearly half a million herself,” Coulter said.

“A friend of mine was a part-owner and told me about her and I bought her with Aussie and Julie Mifsud.  They trained her for a while, then when I got relicensed, I started to train her myself,” he said.

“She’s a big tough sort of horse, but she’s a bit thick winded and takes a lot of work – I gallop her every second day.  A lot of horses wouldn’t take what she does, but you have to work her that way.”

Coulter said he’d picked out a suitable heat and final series at Mildura as a first-up assignment for the 39-rated horse. Beejays Star finished runner up in her heat, before winning the final, and the pair have done a regular 12-hour return commute to Mildura to race ever since.

“A lot of the wins are thanks to (driver) Ryan Sanderson – he is a smart kid and I think he’ll be a champion. He’s all class.  He knows the opposition, knows what to do at the right time in the race and he’s a major factor as to why she’s gone as well as she does up there,” he said.

Coulter said although there was significant effort involved to race in the northwest, it was worth the effort for the right horse.

“Years ago, when I was working as an agent, I bought horses from New Zealand for American, Canada and Australia, and quite a few for an owner at Mildura, Tony Dawes.  He had a lot of good horses with (former trainer) Nigel Ingram and I got to learn that you have to have a special sort of horse for Mildura, one that has speed, but can fly around the tighter turns,” he said.

“I like Mildura racing and Beejays Star likes the Mildura track.  It’s the same money up there as it is racing around Melbourne and Bendigo, so why not keep going back?”

Coulter was born in Adelaide where his dad Fred trained handy horses including Coromandel Lorna (Golcourt).  The family bought a hotel and moved to Bendigo in 1985 where they continued the family’s association with the sport.

The Coulters raced a number of capable horses, including Michael’s first “good one” Salute The Lady (Skippers Salute), who won a Sires Stakes Prelude at Moonee Valley in 1992.  Others included The Pacing Priest (10 wins Pacific Rocket) and Western Fella (Badlands Hanover).

“I worked for Brian Gath, and it was through him that I got to work for (Hall of Famer) Jim Doherty at the Meadowlands.  For quite a few years I would go over there every winter for their summer,” Coulter said.

“I trained in Toronto in Canada and raced at places like Mohawk and Woodbine from the late 90s until 2004.”

Nowadays Coulter is busy with his natural supplements business but enjoys his downtime with the horses.

“I’ve got seven in work, and two or three that hopefully will be at the trials and races over the next few weeks.  I think I’ve got one or two handy ones among them.  Horses have been good to me and taken me all over the world and I hope I’ve got plenty more to look forward to yet.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink