A great Ford – Tomlinson run

The harness racing Ford – Tomlinson families have enjoyed success over the past few months.

Amanda Tomlinson and her father Ken Ford trained his 200th winner when Misty Blue won at Banks Peninsula on 16th February.

Then eleven days later at Winton, Amanda’s youngest daughter Kerryn trained her first winner Dare Devil, which she part owns with Brad Williamson.

“It was very exciting. Sheree (Tomlinson who is Kerryn’s sister) and I watched it. We had to rewind it to show Mark (Amanda’s husband) and pretend we hadn’t seen it,” Amanda said.

The success continued when Sheree drove Rosary at Westport and took out her 300th win. She owns the horse with partner Matt Cross and Davey and Catherine Butt.

To top it all off, Amanda drove Brian Beatt to win on the same day.

The spate of milestones adds to a number of other achievements attained by the family over the past year.

Kerryn represented New Zealand in the Australasian Young Drivers Series in New South Wales.

“She actually qualified for the series twice but only went once because of covid. Jackie Thornley and I followed the kids around, had a great time and the clubs really turned it on for us especially at Penrith. We got to meet the CEO and ride in the mobile.”

Marcoola, a stallion bred by Amanda and Ken, left his first winner in Rogue Hero who won at Addington last month. He’s trained by Ken and Amanda.

The family connection widens, as Rogue Hero is owned by Amanda’s brother Clint who races the gelding in partnership with Paul McDonald.

“Clinton and Paul leased him from Nevele R. When they decided he was quite a nice horse they bought the lease out.”

Rogue Hero’s third dam Chiola’s Lass won ten races and left Skyvalley (24) Allegro Agitato (22) and Cabaletta (7).

Amanda and Ken train at West Melton and currently have nine racehorses in work with sixteen two year olds, four yearlings and five weanlings coming and going.

Ken and his wife Dianne have owned the property since 1988. They bought it from the late Peter Andrews who was President of the NZMTC. The land was originally owned by former National Party MP David Carter.

Ken is still active around the stables but doesn’t drive the horses since having an accident at the tie up.

“He broke his pelvis and was in hospital for a bit. It took four hours for the ambulance to come. He stood leaning against the wall for all of that time because he couldn’t sit. A lady who worked at the hospital and lived next door came over. She started to get worried when he started to go blue.”

Amanda says Ken is back on the ‘active list’ and does the jog team and track grooming.

“He gets told off a lot, not by me, but by Sheree (laughter).”

Amanda said a number of their young horses are by Marcoola.

The Sundon stallion won sixteen races including the 2018 Dominion Handicap which he won by four lengths.

His two other Group One wins were in the Northern Trotting Derby and the New Zealand Trotting Derby.

When he won his second Ashburton Trotters Flying Mile in 2019 his time of 1-53.8 was a New Zealand record which still stands.

“He broke records, was Three Year Old of his year and won a Dominion. He’s got to leave a good one, doesn’t he?”

Marcoola has now left seven qualifiers, four of which have been bred by the Ford family.

“They’re stand up and look at me animals just like him. I’ve been to Nevele R recently to see him and the size of his chest amazes me.”

Amanda and Mark have watched their three children Sheree, Zane and Kerryn participate in the sport and create their own career pathways.

Sheree began her career working for Invercargill trainer Wayne Adam.

“He had a hip replacement and needed staff. When that came right she was employed by Murray Brown,” said Amanda.

Sheree has competed in the Australasian Young Drivers Championship three times, winning the Series in 2018.

Zane was involved in harness racing at an early age but choose a ‘corporate’ path.

“He won a Kidz Kartz Cup on Frisby. Sheree says he’s the best (family driver). He’s very kind and they all run for him. He did his Master’s degree and works for Anzco.”

While still at High School, Kerryn worked for Brad Mowbray and Steve Dolan.

“When she finished High School, Brad (Williamson) offered her a job. She ummed and ahhd and thanks to Kimberly Butt, she decided it would be good for her career to go down there. All three kids have invested in houses.”

Prior to getting into full-time driving Kerryn won the Kidz Kartz New Zealand Cup three times, once on one of Sheree’s ponies.

“Sheree decided she wanted to show Aramid at the Canterbury Royal Show. It fell on the same day as Kidz Kartz and she couldn’t do both. So Kerryn took Sheree’s pony Dimmy and went out and won the Kidz Kartz New Zealand Cup. Meanwhile on the same day at the Show Grounds Sheree got the Champion Ridden Harness Horse Award.”

Sheree drove the 2017 Dominion Handicap winner Amaretto Sun. He was bred and owned by her grandparents and trained by Ken.

“In the Free For All on Tuesday Sheree drove him quite hard. I looked at the Stride Master times and he’d gone better than the winner (Great Things Happen). He got the perfect run in the Dominion and it opened up at the right time. He was really full of himself that morning. We’d peaked him at the right time. We were bloody lucky.”

As a driver Amanda began her career as a graduation driver. Her first winner was Midnight Invasion at Banks Peninsula in December 2006. She also bred and owned the gelding with her father.

“He was a lovely old horse and great for the kids when they first started driving.”

She’s now driven 65 winners, 50 of which have been trotters.

“I only drive them when the girls can’t. It’s not my livelihood to drive the horses, it’s theirs.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink