By Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Gary Litzow’s 20-plus-year friendship with fellow Queensland horseman, Ricky Gordon, blossomed even further at Redcliffe Paceway ;last Monday (December 18).
At 1.25pm the Litzow-driven and Gordon-trained, My Ultimate Heston, flew down the outside late to win the first event – the Mazda Aspley NR Up To 40 Pace.
Litzow couldn’t have timed his run any better. The 5-year-old brown Heston Chip gelding won by half-a-neck, pacing the 1,780m mobile in 2:13 with a 2:00.3 mile-rate. He was the $10 third favourite.
“It’s always a great feeling winning any race, but to win one for my good mate, Ricky, is always special. I’ve won a few for him over a couple of decades now. I’ve been coming to Redcliffe on and off for 35 years now and it’s always good to win a race at The Triangle. I like the track and the Club is a progressive, positive one.
“As for ‘Heston’, he is lovely wee horse to drive. I’ve driven him before and that’s his 10th win now. He sprinted well late in the race, which tells me Ricky has him spot on. It was a nice training effort after he finished seventh the start before at Marburg,” Litzow said.
The Rosewood horseman has now reined five winners this season, and 78 since records were taken in 2000 ($247,629). However, he said he had been driving since he was 15 in the late 1980s.
His training stats show that he has conditioned 13 winners from 1995, but only trained five seasons from 2007 to 2018.
“I’m a painter by trade, and have been since I left Rosewood State High School in the late 1980s. I don’t have any in work and haven’t had any since 2018 simply because I’m flat out with painting houses and light commercial properties,” Litzow said.
“I also enjoy driving freelance, especially for Ricky. He often asks me what horse I want to drive, but I like to leave all those decisions up to him,” he added.
He said he liked helping out his good mate, Gordon, who worked a team of 30 at nearby Haigslea.
“I’ve always been passionate about horses from a very young age, and I really enjoy doing part-time work with Ricky. I also enjoy driving for other trainers and am always available to free-lance for anyone.
“Dad (Darryl) grew up with horses and when they bought a business they got out of the game for 10 years when we were kids. Then when I was about 13 or 14 Dad worked a horse called Little Steel. He was a Romany Storm gelding who won five races in the 1980s. Dad trained and drove him, and from there I reckon I got hooked.
“My parents said if I was to work horses I needed a trade to fall back on, so I got a painting apprenticeship, and only ever worked a couple at a time. Heez Perfect and Playing Serious were both Saturday night city horses,” Ipswich-born Litzow said.
His next three drives are all at Albion Park on Boxing Day. Litzow will team up with the Gordon trained Jang Pel (9) in race four (7.08pm); the Gordon trained My Ultimate Heston in race five (7.39pm); and the John McMullan trained Peejay Mack in race seven (8.40pm).
