Peter enjoying a healthy high

Sprightly Victorian harness racing trainer Peter Goudie’s philosophy on a healthy life is to keep active – and for him, that’s all about his horses.

“I turn 80 this year and you just have to have a reason to get out of bed-if you don’t you just go backwards,” Goudie said.

And the popular horseman, who admits to having spent at least 50 years in the industry, is still as busy as ever at his property, at Gruyere 45 kms north-east of Melbourne, in the Yarra Valley.

“I thoroughly enjoy being hands-on. I’m still breaking-in yearlings and at the moment I’m also preparing three weanlings for the sales,” he said.

In addition, Peter again turned up in the winners’ circle when his four-year-old chestnut mare Sugar High (Peak DNK-Sugar Times (Roydon Boy USA) won at the recent midweek meeting at Tabcorp Park Melton.

Sugar High, handled by top Melbourne reinsman John Caldow, took out The Big Screen Company Maiden Trot.

“She’s a lovely mare, with good gate speed. I advertised her for sale after the win and I think she’s going to continue her career up in New South Wales,” Goudie said.

“I breed a few each year and this coming season I decided to increase the numbers to five or six. The costs associated with breeding can be expensive so the money I got from the sale of Sugar High I’ll put toward the broodmares.”

Goudie said it was Caldow who he purchased the square-gaiter from earlier in the year.

“She had a few issues and John didn’t have the time to spend on her. She was placed at Yarra Valley at her first start for us, but then put in a few ordinary runs due to a virus, before she came out and won at Melton,” he said.

Goudie said he spent some time getting Sugar High right before she had her first racestart for him.

“I’m a bit old fashioned in that I like to have them feeling good. I noticed that she had trouble in her neck because she couldn’t move her head freely and just wouldn’t put it down,” he said.

“I’ve used a good chiropractor in Noel Cunningham for the past 10 years and he fixes them up. Noel might not always get them right at his first go, but he’ll persevere, and I swear by him.

“Horses just can’t be performing when they’re in pain. It did take me a few months to work her out.”
Goudie said he usually races his horses with his son David.

“David’s a professional photographer and he loves the horses. We’ve got a few together at the moment-they are all trotters because we enjoy the challenge. I wouldn’t give you tuppence for a pacer,” he laughed.

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink