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They say nothing breeds success and energy like enthusiasm.
Look no further than the Douglas stable at Strathfieldsaye for the proof.
Just seven months into the 2021 harness racing season, the team notched up its 100th winner courtesy of Interest Free’s victory at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night.
In a season where the wins have come and thick fast, it stood to reason that win number 101 wouldn’t be too far away, coming as quickly as the next race via the in-form Vandanta.
A mercurial milestone for the stable has been achieved during a period of change, especially at the top, with Julie Douglas replacing her husband Glenn as the trainer.
Glenn, a multiple state premiership-winning trainer in his own right, said a more hands-on Julie had brought a renewed intensity and fervour to the operation.
“Julie is the trainer now and what a lot of people probably don’t understand is the enthusiasm she brings to the stable,” he said.
“We have probably doubled our numbers, getting a good team behind us, and that is all due to Julie’s enthusiasm and her love of the sport and the love of the horse.
“It’s why we are up and running again.
“I’ve always said, whether it’s thoroughbreds or harness racing, new blood is the key. It’s great to have the old blood and ticking them over, but to keep winning form, you’ve got to be looking for that next horse and that’s what we’re doing.
“We’ve rebuilt the stable, probably turned the clock back a bit and we’re up and about.
The season has progressively gotten better for the Douglas camp.
A tally of 14 training wins for Julie Douglas in May was followed by 18 in June and an astonishing career-high 29 in July.
Those incredible numbers have translated into a 20-win lead at the top of the state trainer’s premiership following the first day of August.
Ballarat’s Emma Stewart, who has won the past six state and metropolitan trainer’s premierships, is second on 81 wins, with Bendigo’s Kate Hargreaves a clear third on 73.
Proving equally as crucial as enthusiasm to the stable’s brilliant run, according to Douglas, is the old adage ‘success breeds success’.
“A lot of our advantage lies in the fact that if one horse is going okay, the next one has to chase it at home and then the next one has to chase it,” he said.
The other key ingredient has been the services of some of the state’s best-performed drivers, headed by Jack Laugher and Ellen Tormey.
The 22-year-old Laugher continues to enjoy a breakout season, highlighted by 119 winners (22 in July), placing him second in the state driver’s premiership behind Greg Sugars (126).
Tormey sits ninth in the standings on 66 wins and at her current rate is on track to eclipse 100 wins in a season for the first time in her career.
Douglas is not alone in thinking the maturation and development of Laugher is one of the great stories of the 2021 racing season.
“Jack moved to Bendigo from the metropolitan area and the move has definitely agreed with him,” he said.
“As much as I have helped him, he’s helped me. When you have the state’s second-leading driver camped with you, it helps all of us.
“He’s able to potter around the place and help the team and then to be able to drive them and have the intimate knowledge of the horses, because he’s so hands-on, certainly doesn’t hurt.”
With the Bendigo region possessing such a wealth of young driving talent, Douglas said he was only too happy to climb out of the sulky whenever possible to afford opportunities to others.
“I’ve always said driving gets in the way of my social life – I’m a bit of a social butterfly,” he laughed.
“But, honestly, it’s great seeing other people enjoying success. We’re not greedy, we like to share it around.
“We had John Caldow drive for us on Saturday night, Ellen Tormey and young Jack.
“Young Abby Sanderson (from Charlton) has driven a winner for us only recently and so has Jordan Leedham on a few occasions.
“They’re all great kids and it’s great to watch them progress.”
A big month for the Douglas stable coincided with an even bigger one for the Bendigo region harness racing ranks, which includes the Charlton and Maryborough training centres.
It was only fitting that the Douglas stable’s 100th winner of the season corresponded with the 100th achieved by either a Bendigo region trainer or driver in the month of July.
Behind Julie Douglas, Kate Hargreaves compiled 11 winners, followed by Charlton’s John Tormey with six, Terry French (five) and Jim O’Sullivan and Shane Sanderson (3).
Laugher led all of the region’s drivers with 22 wins, ahead of Ellen Tormey on 14, Glenn Douglas (11), Alex Ashwood (eight) and Charlton youngster Ryan Sanderson (seven).
A total of 64 horses achieved wins during the month with five of them emerging as three-time winners.
Not surprisingly, four of the five – Vandanta, Junior Feelgood, Western Ricki and Khaki Nui – are trained by Julie Douglas, while the other Good Guy Mack completed a hat-trick of wins for the trainer-driver combination of Shane and Ryan Sanderson with his success at Stawell last Thursday.
Douglas said the numbers were a testament to the high levels of strength and ability within the region.
“The region is having a great time; the people around are having a great run and it just shows the talent we have in and around the area,” he said.
On Saturday night’s metropolitan wins, Douglas said the two-year-old Interest Free had perhaps ‘exceeded expectations’ to this point of his career, but still had plenty of upside.
The gelded son of Art Major and Picobello made it three-straight (and three wins from four starts) with his convincing 10.6-metre victory.
By Kieran Iles – republished from the Bendigo Advertiser
