Brent and Tim White – Part One

Ashburton father and son harness racing partnership Brent and Tim White, are beginning to establish themselves as serious contenders of some of the high end races in New Zealand and they already have a Group One victory to their name.

Brent has been training off and on since 1991 whilst Tim became part of the partnership in 2022.

This is the first part of their story and looks into Brent’s journey in the sport and his life in hospitality.

He was brought up in Murchison and it’s there that he caught the harness racing bug.

“When I was ten or twelve I took a shine to it. Alan Thompson started me off and later on a fellow named Robert Hamilton (Murray Hamilton’s brother) bought two pubs in Murchison. He was training horses in Blenheim. So that’s where the horses and the pub background come from,” he said.

Brent held a junior driver’s licence, and his first winner Peterman (Nat Lobell) was at the New Brighton meeting in February 1989. The gelding was trained by Murray Edmonds.

“I was Murray’s first ever stable hand when he went out on his own. I was there close to five years and won a couple of races, but I was more of a nuisance out there. I did make the South Island Junior Team one year (laughter). I’m better being a grandstand driver.”

White then trained on his own account for a short period. He then headed to Brian West’s where he took over from Michael House. He later moved back to Nelson.

“Tim was born. I had a bit of a lifestyle change, moved to Nelson and pre-trained for Jack and Tom Inglis and Peter Fry. The Inglis had the Riwaka Hotel so I started working there. Then a good mate of mine Tim Trathen, bought the Railway Hotel in Richmond and asked me to go there.”

Brent’s first winner as a trainer was Turbo Prince (Cadillac) at the Cheviot meeting at Rangiora on the grass, in March 1992.

“Tim was about two months old. Murray Edmonds drove him in our old colours. My next winner which was about fifteen years later was Cassino Woman (Badlands Hanover). I sold her to a fellow in Australia, Mark Ralph, who I’ve become really good mates with. So it’s opened up a whole lot of Australian connections.”

Cassino Woman was the first of 119 winners that Stephen McNally has driven for the Whites.

Despite working in hospitality, horses were never far away and Brent helped Trathen, as well as Brian Wasney at Brightwater. Brent’s second and only other winner as a driver was Kalinda (Alamo Lobell) trained by Wasney. She won at the Nelson Jockey Club meeting in April 1997 so it was a long time between drinks!!

“I did the pubs for ten to twelve years and didn’t really touch the horses.”

It wasn’t until he moved to Christchurch that he got back into training.

“I was getting the Springston Hotel back on the road and Fred Morris leased me a couple of boxes. It grew from there. I went to the yearling sales one year and a couple of Aussie guys were there. Peter Larkin (Bloodstock Agent) asked me to break in fourteen yearlings for West Australia, so I did a lot of Kim and Justin Prentice’s young ones, and it grew from there.”

White and his partner Elaine then moved to Temuka and Brent trained horses there for a while before moving to Ashburton five years ago.

“The barn I’m in now was used by Dick Prendergast, Denice Swain and Graeme Ward.

Over the years some good horses have come Brents way, such as Elios (Bettor’s Delight) which won at Gore in October 2012 by seven and a quarter lengths and was then sold to Robert Dunn. He went on to win another nine races including the G2 Southern Supremacy Stakes Final, the G2 JLT Futurity at Cambridge and the G1 New Zealand Messenger in 2014.

Wesley Silcox (Courage Under Fire) was another good pacer developed by Brent. He won twice at Nelson before he too was sold to the Dunns.

“He won six in a row for a good owner of mine Ross McCutchen. We were in a lot of horses together. Both Elios and Wesley Silcox did a good job but they both got injured. Then Cranbourne (Sir Lincoln) came along.”

He too was part owned by McCutchen and won twelve races including the G3 Methven Cup and the G3 Fahey Fence Hire FFA.

He was driven in eight of those wins by Stephen McNally who was doing most of the driving for the stable at the time.

“Stephen and I had a real good run. He’s done a super job but he decided to take a different turn in life to concentrate on his shoeing and he’s got a young family. We had no workers at that time, then the girls came along (Kimberly Butt and Sarah O’Reilly). Kim came along first then Sarah. We’re pretty lucky to have two girls to drive ninety percent of our horses.”

After working as a Stock Agent, in 2022 Tim joined Brent and their partnership was formed.

Based on the number of wins, Cranbourne (12), One Apollo (10), Sell A Bit (9), Bettor’s Tart (8), Trouble Rieu (8), Burlington (7) and Mabelene (6) have been the best horses to be trained by Brent and the partnership.

“Sell A Bit ran sixth in the Harness Jewels and got sold for good money to America. Mabalene still holds the track record at Wyndham the day Sarah let her rip. She went to America but sadly she broke down this prep.”

Mabalene’s win at Wyndham was by thirteen and a half lengths, running the 2400 metres in 2-53.5 –  a track and Southland record for mares.

Included in Better’s Tart’s eight wins were two heats of the Southern Belle Speed Series, a heat of the Nevele R and the Roxburgh Cup which was in record time. Sell A Bit won the 2015 Southern Belle Speed Series Final at Winton.

One Apollo (One Over Da Moon) was the first good trotter Brent trained. He won the Group Three Southern Lights, the Group Three DG Jones Memorial/Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup, Group Three Easter Trotters Classic and the Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Two Year Old Trot.

American Me is the current stable star. He won nine races for Doug Gale and another five for the Whites.

“He turned up twelve months ago as a rating 55 horse. He won the Methven Cup which was pretty special to our stable and to Sarah. He went on to win the Invercargill Cup, the Roy Purdon and went a creditable race in the Auckland Cup. He’s taken us on a great ride.”

American Me finished fourth in last year’s New Zealand Trotting Cup just 5.9 lengths from winner Swayzee.

“I think he’s proven over distance that he’s right up there. It’s just a matter of him finding the right helmet in those bigger races particularly over a bit more distance. He’s not far behind them.”

In recent years Brent and Tim have been active buyers at the Christchurch yearling sales. At the 2023 Sales Brent outlaid $80,000 for a Majestic Son – One Over Da Stars colt.

Brent trained One Over Da Stars to win two races and the Love You mare won another three for Greg and Nina Hope.

“She broke my heart more times than she won races. I like him (Majestic Stars), but I think he’s going to take a wee bit of time. It probably shocked a lot of people when they saw our name go up (as buyers). I didn’t say too much – just bought him, then I rang Tim and said ‘shit we better get this one sold.’ We had him sold in twelve hours to our stable clients.”

At this year’s sales they bought a Bettor’s Delight – Hopes And Dreams filly for $65,000, an Always B Miki – Strawberry Fields colt for $15,000 and an Art Major – Back In The USSR colt for $22,500.

“Our owner base is pretty good. I usually buy something and Tim will throw it onto our personal emails and see what happens. We’ve still got a few shares from horses we bought at the last sales.”

The stable has also had a good run with the stock of Sweet Lou.

“Graeme Anderson sent up a few nice ones early on. We looked after Spirit Of St Louis and    Cantfindabettorman. We had Bluto for a long time and Lone Wolf. They’ve all done a nice enough job.”

Brent is now into his third season of training with Tim and the partnership has won 59 races.

“I probably do his head in at times not letting the reins go. He’s great and gets on with everybody so well. He’s a good communicator. It works well.”

The stable usually has 25 horses in work and Brent has a lot of time for Commander Ben, (Art Major) the winner of six and Commander Joe (Art Major) which has won twice. Both horses are owned by good stable client Wendy Nordqvist.

“I think Commander Joe will get better as the season goes on and Commander Ben has come on leap and bounds in the last six months.”

So how long would he like to continue?

“I’ll be like Ray Green and carry on for as long as I can. I like doing the trotters and there’s a lot of satisfaction when you get one going well.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink