Group winning Katie Cox

Thirty three year old Leeston harness racing trainer Katie Cox is a horsewoman on the move.

Earlier this month she won her first group race as a trainer when It’s Tough (Bettor’s Delight) won the Group Three Welcome Stakes at Addington. She prepared fourteen yearlings this season for the NZB Standardbred Sales in Christchurch, and as a driver she’s sitting on 99 wins. Obviously, another milestone is on its way.

Cox comes from a show jumping background and was introduced to horses at a very young age.

“Mum never had the opportunity to do it, so she took me to riding lessons when I was about three. The neighbours had some donkeys and I rode them quite a bit. I got everyone else’s naughty ponies that wanted to buck you off,” she said.

When she finished school, she helped Jamie and Natalie Gameson with yearling sale horses.

“That was where I first sat behind a horse in the cart.”

As a teenager she also helped out galloping trainer and showjumping rider Chris Harris.

“I used to go out in the school holidays and help them with the gallopers. Mavis Harris and Chris had a big influence on me. I used to bowl the young horses around which I enjoyed.

Cox also competed for the New Zealand Young Riders team, having a good amount of success.

“I had a lot of young horses and normally sold them.”

After finishing school, she went off to America to follow her show jumping dream.

“I was very lucky to compete in places like Kentucky. I went to Lochmoor Showjumping Stables in Ohio, and travelled with them as a working pupil.”

The experience helped Cox to decide whether to pursue show jumping at a higher level.

“It opened my eyes and showed me how much money is needed to compete at that professional level.”

She decided to return home and subsequently undertook a four year degree in Property Valuation and Management at Lincoln University.

“Everyone told me I needed a qualification so I had something to fall back on.”

Whilst at University she helped out in the mornings and at weekends at Colin and Julie DeFilippi’s stable.

“I got my trials license when I was at Colin and Julie’s. Colin was very good and went out of his way to teach me things, which I appreciated. When I finished University, I needed a few more trials drives to get my junior license so I went back to Jamie’s for a bit and got my license there.”

At the time Gameson had pacer Cardinal Huff (Armbro Operative). I leased Cardinal Huff off some of Jamie’s owners when they had finished with him. He ended up winning at Addington for her while still in the Gameson colours and in August 2012 Cox had gained her training license when he won again at Addington and Forbury.

I just rode him round the roads, and it seemed to work well. “He did quite a good job for a horse that was finished with.”

“I did enjoy the training side of it. It was the horses that pulled me to the industry.” Although he didn’t win another race, he ran a number of placings and gave Cox exposure as both a driver and trainer.

“When I left Jamie’s, I had to take out the right of purchase to keep the horse, so as we could find a nice home for him on his retirement. He’s still being ridden today so that’s quite cool.”

Her first win as a driver was at Banks Peninsula in February 2012 on Topnotch Lyn, (Dream Vacation) which was trained by Gameson.

When an opportunity arose to work for Dean Taylor, she took it.

“I was there for a few years and got some good driving opportunities. I got a chance to drive a lot of his team and get the experience out on the track a bit more.”

She drove sixteen winners for Taylor and struck up a great partnership with Simon Sivad, (Live Or Die) driving him to win five times. Her time at Taylor’s heightened her interest in training.

“After I left Dean’s, I went to Ken Barron’s. He’s so well organised and was very willing to share his knowledge as was his brother Tony and Blair Orange who were there. You could always discuss with them what to do with certain horses and it’s been a big help for me.”

Between 2013 and 2017 Cox had just a small number of starters, as her core business at that stage was breaking in horses. She handled all of Graham and Paul Courts young horses for about two years.

Her first win as a trainer was with Mad Lu Li (Vintage Master) at Geraldine in November 2017.

In 2018 she cranked her stable numbers up and from sixty seven runners she had five winners, seven seconds and eight thirds.

Her best season to date has been 2021 when she trained ten winners including Spy Da Moment (Monarchy).

“Paul Corkran offered me a few older horses that had been left and hadn’t had too much done with them. Spy Da Moment was a bit unruly and pretty hard to handle. He had a bit of ability but a few issues with his feet.”

He qualified at Ashburton in March 2019 as a six year old and had his first start twelve days later at Methven where he was sent out hot favourite. He broke and finished last.

He won his first race four starts later at Addington in July 2019 and between July 23rd and August 13th 2021, won three races in a row.

He’s out of the Sundon mare Pick The Moment who’s a half-sister to millionaire trotter Take A Moment (Armbro Invasion).

“He was a real panicky horse. He hadn’t been out in the paddock with other horses or on a trailer float. He was five when I got him and he hadn’t been in the cart since he was a yearling.”

He’s raced in three Group Three races – Ordeal Cup (6th), DG Jones Banks Peninsula Cup (11th) and Ashburton Trotters Flying Sprint (6th).

“He’s done a great job and should be back at the races shortly. He’s got a massive motor but his manners have been a bit of an issue. But they are getting better now that he’s an old horse (laughter).”

Cox now operates a stable at Leeston on a property formerly owned by the late Peter Cowan and Ray Kennedy. The stable is named Te Awatea after her great grandfather and her grandfather’s farm on the Chatham Islands.

“We actually leased a few paddocks here and when the opportunity came up, we purchased it.”

The property is thirty acres and has twenty four large boxes including eight for colts, plus a 10 horse walker. She can handle up to twenty horses which includes racehorses and young horses.

“We began by breaking in horses. Now it’s gone the other way.”

Cox’s mother Wendy helps out and is very supportive, looking after all the paperwork, while Brianna Bailey, Ashleigh Royal and Hadassah Meaden are a great team.

“Brianna comes from a show jumping background but has worked in a harness stable. Ashleigh worked for Purdon’s for a long time, while Hadassah does a lot of the groundwork and came to us round Yearling Sales time.”

Cox regularly receives requests from clients to prepare yearlings for the Sales. This year the cohort of fourteen she prepped for the Christchurch Sale were offered under the Te Awatea Stable banner.

“This year we ended up with quite a lot, but it worked in well around the racehorses. We put in the eight new boxes, and we have the ten horse covered in horse walker which is a great tool.”

Her top lot was Captain Christian (Captaintreacherous) which sold to Stonewall Stud for $50,000.

“I’ve got a few (yearlings) booked in so I guess we will be carrying on with it (laughter), but it’ll be with limited spaces.”

Cox’s biggest winner in her relatively short training career came earlier this month when It’s Tough bred by Ray Reekie, took out the Group Three Welcome Stakes at Addington.

“When I was at Jamie Gameson’s, Ray was pretty good to me and gave me a few drives as a junior driver. One was on It’s Tough’s mother Cullen’s Mercy (Christian Cullen). Sometimes Ray would drive the truck with me down to Forbury and I appreciated the company.”

Cullen’s Mercy won five races and paced a mile in 1-53.7 at Winton when winning in December 2013.

Cox broke in It’s Tough, one of a number she’s broken in over the years for Reekie.

“I really liked him when I broke him in. Ray asked me if I had any owners that would like to buy the horse. He was pretty fair with what we paid for him. Ray kept a bit of him initially, then I think he put the I’m Tough Syndicate into the horse. I had a few clients in both Australia and here plus there’s some new people as well.”

The ownership group in the gelding are Ron Packer, Brad Packer, Steven King, Carol Gray, Estelle Dunn, Jeffrey Hood. Carol Deuart, Pauline Ward, Kevin Dueart and the I’m Tough Syndicate.

“He was a beautifully gaited horse with a good attitude. I’m so lucky that Ray bred the horse and gave me the opportunity. He’s spent years getting this family to where it is.”

In the Welcome Stakes earlier this month the All Stars stable had the two leading contenders. Their stable has dominated juvenile racing for a long time but to the surprise of many the finish was fought out by two other horses – I’m Tough and A Little Silence (Downbytheseaside).

“There’s not many that have beaten them (All Stars) over the last twenty years or so in those types of races. I was confident that the horse was as ready as I could have him. He’d done everything asked of him at the trials and taken everything in his stride. The other night he showed he could take that next step.”

Cox says It’s Tough will be heading to the Sapling Stakes at Ashburton on Queens Birthday weekend and will then be turned out for a break.

“He’s not paid up for the Sires Stakes races so he’ll come back for those races at the end of the year. He’s a big horse that wears a 62 inch hopple so he should improve a lot. I said to the owners that what he does as a two year old is a bonus.”

Cox is also dabbling in breeding and owns Love The Moment (Love You) whose dam Stay The Moment is a full sister to Take a Moment.

“I bred Lottie’s Moment out of her. She’s a two year old filly by Majestic Son who went to a Learners Heat and went quite well. Later in the year she might be alright.”

Cox also has high hopes for a qualified two year old named Revolution (Courage Under Fire).

“He worked up with It’s Tough, but he just needed a wee bit more time. He’s quite a nice horse that trialled up well early in the season.”

As a driver Cox has won twenty nine races in her own colours, sixteen for Dean Taylor and seven for Michael Ward. She’s now won three group races – The Group Two Forbury Park Four and Five Year Old Championship driving Woodlea Legend (Grinfromeartoear), The Group Three Heather Williams Memorial with Time Up The Hill (Muscle Hill) and the Group Two Welcome Stakes with It’s Tough.

With driving win number 100 just around the corner and the undoubted talent of It’s Tough, the future is looking rosy for Katie Cox.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink