Two from two and steaming ahead

Novice South Australian trainer Tom Rundle is making the harness racing business look easy.

Two wins from just eight starters – and a 75 per cent win-place strike rate.not bad for a trainer who’s just 21 years old.

Rundle notched up his maiden training win at his home track at Mount Gambier with stable newcomer Better Steam Ahead (Betterthancheddar – Steam Washed (Washington VC) on February 22, then five days later crossed the border to Victoria to make it back-to-back wins with the same horse at Horsham.

The young trainer admits he was “never really into horses much” when he was growing up, but acknowledges the bug has certainly bitten.

“My mum always liked her horses and dad was into his racing. When I was young, we lived in Adelaide and we had our horses on agistment out at the fodder store,” Rundle said.

“We moved to ‘the Mount’ when I was 10, really to be able to get a small property to have space for our horses. I did one season of pony trots then, but just gave it up. I was more interested in baseball and football,” he said.

But the apprentice plumber was reintroduced to the sport by chance.

“One day I ran into (Mount Gambier trainer-driver) Mark Phillips on a work site and I think he knew I had done pony trots and had probably seen me at the Mount Gambier trots a time or two.

“He asked me to come and help him with his horses, and maybe work one for him so I did.”

Rundle took out his trainer’s ticket in November last year, and picked up his first horse Milliondollar Kiss from south west Victorian trainer Rebecca East.

“The horse was advertised for sale, and a group of my mates decided she looked like a good horse for us. We gave her six starts (for three seconds and a third) and we were pretty unlucky not to win one with her,” he said.

When Milliondollarkiss went for a spell in December Rundle looked around for another opportunity and, with another group of owners, made an offer on Better Steam Ahead.

“I was in Adelaide at trade school for my first win as a trainer, when Better Steam Ahead won at Mount Gambier (driven by Mark Phillips). I was watching it on the TV with my grandpa. It was a bit disappointing not to be there, but we were pretty excited watching, and I got plenty of texts and calls afterwards,” he said.

“I was there later in the week for the Horsham win though (when the horse was driven by Jason Lee). I thought he would go close but I didn’t think he would be able to beat them the way he did (by 15 metres). We were absolutely rapt.”

Rundle has his horses at the Phillips stable, and says he owes much of his learning to David and Mark.

“They’ve taught me everything, and the Lee family from over at Terang as well, have been a great help. But we’ve got a great little harness racing family at Mount Gambier and everyone helps everyone.

“I’m lucky to also have owners in the horses who are just in it for a bit of fun, like I am. It’s probably come perhaps a bit too easy for us, and everyone’s telling me to enjoy it while it lasts. But there really is nothing better than a win!

“I always loved my gallopers, but I never really expected I would be a trainer at all, and definitely not a trots trainer. Now I’m absolutely loving it and I’ll most likely be doing it forever!”

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink