Well-planned ‘roadie’ sees narrow win

Victorian Goulburn Valley trainer-driver Laura Crossland was elated on Sunday (Oct. 16) after a slow and well-planned road trip to the Maryborough harness racing meeting saw her rewarded with a win.

With hundreds of roads closed across the State due to the floods crisis, getting from A to B is no longer a straightforward matter – but a determined Crossland wasn’t about to be deterred.

“I did a fair bit of checking out so that I could find a route through the detours and wasn’t faced with any problems and long diversions – I actually made so many calls, but it was worth it,” Crossland said.

“The trip normally takes around two hours and twenty minutes, and I left pretty early thinking I was allowing myself heaps of time.  I couldn’t believe it when I arrived with just 10 minutes to spare! We definitely went the long way round!” she laughed.

Crossland landed the money with bay filly Chirripo (Always B Miki) in the Crameri Pty Ltd 2yo Pace for owner Verna El-Khishin.

“I thought she would be hard to beat because she had never finished further back than third in her five lifetime starts. We got up the sprint lane, but at the end I really didn’t know if I’d won or not,” she said.

Chirripo got the verdict by a head from Mollys Line (James Herbertson) with Spring Blue (Mark Pitt) a further five metres back in third spot. The mile rate was 1.56-5.

Crossland said Chiquita Bromac, the dam of Chirripo, had been a great broodmare with three horses to make it to the racetrack all being winners.

“I’ve been lucky to have Verna as an owner. She rang me out of the blue probably about five or six years ago just to tell me she loved the way I turned my horses out, which was nice,” she said.

“Later on she asked if I had room to train a horse for her and that’s where it all began. She lives near Creswick and breeds all her own horses. As well as that she has Angus cattle and works at an aged care facility, which she loves.

“Verna is terrific because if we both decide a particular horse is not for us, we then move it on.

“Chirripo is the third foal from a beautiful family. I had the others too, Celerina who won five with a lot of placings, and Cheyella who’s had 10 wins with a best time of around 1.55.

“The older ones have taken time to get going, so Chirripo has been a surprise packet. Although in saying that, she doesn’t set the world on fire at home.”

Crossland said her day didn’t get off to a good start when the electricity went off early in the morning.

“I was about to shower so I then had to get the generator started. Then I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get petrol because of the power outtages everywhere, but a servo just a bit outside of Shepparton was open, thankfully.

“So in the end it all turned out to be a very good day.”

Crossland said after a few more phone calls from Maryborough, she decided her best drive home was via Bendigo to Heathcote and then up the Melbourne road.

“On the way over I stopped at a supermarket and nearly everything had sold out, with people panic-buying. But I didn’t go hungry on the trip home, that’s for sure – Verna cooked up cupcakes, and lemon and apple slices!” she laughed.

For complete race results, click here.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink