By Duane Ranger (courtesy of the Goulburn Harness Racing Club)
New South Wales horseman, Grant Forrest, says he’s a lot happier now that he’s downsized his Mount Fairy stable and is now able to dedicate more time to his family, teaching career, and his own sport.
“Even my wife, Joni says the smile has come back to my face. Training and driving horses, standing stallions, as well as standing on five harness racing committees absorbs a lot of your time. And now that I’m working just two horses, I can even go on holidays with Joni, Harry (6), Evelyn (4), and Darcy (2).
“I want to watch my children grown up. I spend a lot of time with other people’s children and now Joni and the kids are my priority,” said Forrest, who is also a PE (Physical education) teacher at Bungendore High School – 19km south-west of his Mount Fairy property, which boasts a 1,000m training track.
“I even had my first game of club cricket in four years last Saturday,” the 39-year-old added.
Forrest might have scaled back his15-strong team to just two this season, but that doesn’t mean the wins have dried up.
Photo Caption: Will Rixon and Jackies Gift are flanked by Patricia and Greg Forrest, soon after winning Race One – the Goulburn Hay Supplies Trotters Maiden – at Goulburn Paceway last Tuesday (October 21). Goulburn Paceway photo.
In fact, both of his trotters won within eight days of each other.
Last Tuesday (October 21) the Forrest-trained and Will Rixon-driven 3-year-old Majestic Son filly, Jackies Gift, nailed her first win in 21 starts (four placings) at Goulburn Paceway when victorious in the Goulburn Hay Supplies Trotters NR-up-to-50 Mobile by 1.9 metres in a smart 1:57.9. She was the $2.30 favourite.
The previous Monday his 7-year-old Sam Bourbon mare, Thebestbourbon, notched up her 17th win in 126 starts ($183,529) at Canberra by a whopping 27.9 metres in track record time. Dean Cernovskis drove the $2.15 favourite.
Forrest has now trained 109 winners and placed 293 times from 1,451 starts ($1,032,972) since he got his trainer’s licence in the 2014-2015 season. He’s also saluted the judge on 76 occasions, and placed 217 times from 1,179 starts ($686,511) since first jumping in the bike in 2010-2011.
“I couldn’t get to the track on Tuesday because the race was at 12.44pm and I was teaching. We had an ‘Oztag Day’ (a non-tackling, team-based sport derived from rugby league) in Canberra, and I was coaching my team when the race was being run. I couldn’t even watch it on the phone because I was so busy.
“Then when I started getting a few texts, I knew Will had done the business for us. I’m also grateful to my parents (Greg and Patricia) for getting the horse to and from the races. I think she can win a few more,” Forrest said.
He said he broke Jackies Gift in after prominent Young breeder, Jackie Gibson, asked him if he wanted a yearling that was a bit crazy and nutty.
Photo Caption: Jackies Gift (Will Rixon) notches up her first career win in 21 starts in Tuesday’s Goulburn Hay Supplies Trotters Maiden. Rioterra and Stephanie Morris, are second. Lance Fearne Photo.
“We all know how good a breeder Jackie is, and the top horses she has turned out, so I said – ‘Why not the I’ll give her a crack’. I knew soon after breaking her in that the filly had ability. I’ve just had to be patient with her, because I know how hot some Majestic Son’s can get. She has got better with each race, and will be a nice racehorse once she is fully matured.
“She placed in the 2yo Breeders Crown Fillies Trotting Final at Melton last November and also ran third in the Arizona Blue 2yo Trot Final the following week at Menangle. Then in July she ran fifth in the $50,000 HRNSA 3yo Trot Final at Menangle. I thought she’d go alright at Goulburn because she’s getting stronger with every run, and the nice four-draw helped her too,” Forrest said.
“Will drove her perfectly, settling fourth before making his move down the back straight. She then stuck on well to win, but even so, she’s still got lots to learn,” he added.
Both Jackies Gift and Thebestbourbon are owned by Forrest’s father Greg.
Forrest Senior has trained standardbreds and so did his father, Ernest, and grandfather Jack.
“I’m a fourth-generation harness racing trainer and have grown up around horses. It’s something I always wanted to do, but my parents insisted I get a degree first, because they said the horses can be hard to make a living and it was something to fall back on.
“Dad has had some nice horses over the years. “Corbett was a good horse that dad had in the 1970s. He won around 30 races including a couple of Group Threes and raced giants like Paleface Adios. Then there was Classic Comment. She was another nice horse, who won 18 races in the early 2000s’, she was arguably the best trotter in the country at one point.
Photo Caption: Grant Anthony Forrest with his wife, Joni, and their three children – Harry (6), Evelyn (4), and Darcy (2).
But (Grant) Forrest has given more to harness racing than just his driving skills, and brown and yellow-chequered, and yellow-sleeved silks. He has also stood on five committees for the past five years.
“I was on the Goulburn and Canberra Harness Racing Committees before standing down this year. I also served as Vice President for the NSW Trotters Association and was on the NSW Trainers and Drivers (UHRA) and the NSW Breeders Committee as well, but like I said before, they were impacting on my family time. I’m not yet 40 and still want to play a bit more cricket as well,” he said.
Forrest has represented NSW and when he attended Canberra University, where he achieved his PDHPE, he also played premier club cricket for five seasons.
“I captained and coached North Canberra in their Premier League competition. When I was younger, I represented NSW Juniors at two levels and then when I was 19, I made the ACT Comets squad. I enjoyed my cricket and I’m glad to be back playing again, but my cousin went further,” Forrest said.
That cousin is Peter Forrest (now 39), who played 15 One-Day Internationals for Australia in 2012. He also represented NSW, Queensland, and the Brisbane Heat.
Asked to comment on the Goulburn Harness Racing Club, Forrest believed the future was bright.
Photo Caption: Mount Fairy horseman, Gant Forrest, is also an accomplished cricketer. Here he is about to cut a rising loose delivery through forward-point for four.
“It is in good hands. The new President – Josh Stapelton is an intelligent, clever bloke, with a good vision. He also has a solid harness racing background. I know the previous committee spearheaded by Dennis Day did a great job, and his services will be lost, but I have total faith in what lies ahead.
“There’s a lot of youth coming through with bright innovative ideas, and Mark Croatto is still there doing a wonderful job. More people are also moving from Sydney to the region, which can only benefit the Club. In the future, I think we will see a lot more horses and more meetings at Goulburn. House prices are cheap and with a new stabling complex the future looks healthy,” Forrest said.
“I will renew my membership and still be a regular patron at the track,” the former Billabong High (Culcairn) School student said.
Footnote: Mount Fairy is a locality in the Queanbeyan–Palerang Regional Council, New South Wales, Australia. It is located to the east of Bungendore-Tarago road and is 57km south of Goulburn, and 59km north-west of Canberra.
The Cricket Club that Mount Fairy horseman and PE teacher, Grant Forrest used to captain and coach.
