By Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Prenzlau horsewoman, Tayla Gillespie, is on the verge of realising a lifetime dream.
The 28-year-old Queenslander was just 15 when she was with her father, Shaun, as he trained Sundon gelding, Kasyanov, to finish second in the Inter Dominion Trotting Grand Final at Moonee Valley.
That was February 6, 2010. Fast forward almost 14 years (5,061 days), and Gillespie looks like she will emulate her Dad’s feat but having her first Inter Dominion starter qualify for the grand-final come Saturday week (December 16).
The best horse of the 17 she trains at Prenzlau in the Somerset region (11km from Marburg – population 408) – is the former Group-winning Kiwi trotter, Majestic Lavros. The rising 9-year-old has recorded two fourths from both of his heats so far.
Currently placed ninth, a top-five placing at Albion Park should see him sneak through to the Group One $250,000 Final over the 2,680m mobile. He is 14 points adrift of Series leaders Just Believe and Ollivici.
“Wow it would be the highlight of a lifetime to have a starter in the big Final next week. He’s drawn one over the same longer distance tonight (Saturday), so he should get an economical run for Matt (Elkins). He’s driven him so well without using too much petrol so far. Majestic Lavros is a beautiful trotter. Real fun to be around. He’s quirky and a real tradesman.
“When he gets out on to the track he certainly knows what the racing game is all about. I’m just so grateful to Dad’s good friend, Mark Gurry, who owns him. He knew I would have loved an Interdominion horse and bought Majestic Lavros from New Zealand (in June) just so I could train him,” Gillespie said.
“Mark is an amazing owner . He also bought Kasyanov, for Dad to train when he first got him over from New Zealand from Dr Luk Chin (Waikato), in June 2009. Dad and I have also trained other Lavros horses from New Zealand,” she added.
She said Melbourne-based Guppy had also bought the stable the two-win Always B Miki gelding named Creed for them to race as well.
“There are others from New Zealand too, plus a 2-year-old Southwind Frank filly he bought at last year’s Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He’s just a kind man and has been a good friend of Dad’s since Kasyanov. We are all so grateful for his loyalty,” Gillespie said.
The former Derek Jones trained and Kypros Kotzikas-bred Majestic Lavros won nine races and $146,274 across the Tasman, including a Group Three and Listed event. Since arriving here almost six months ago he has won one of his seven starts, placed in one other, and ran two fourths in ID23.
“He’s beautiful and I just love him. He certainly doesn’t know he’s eight. You can tell he’s been well-schooled back in New Zealand by the best. Actually, his former trainer (Derek Jones) contacted me recently and congratulated us on his debut Queensland win, and wished me all the best for the Inter Dominion, which was really nice,” said Gillespie.
“I also train Ascalabus and Noble Lavros for Kypros. Ascalabus has had a trial back and is nearly ready to race again, while Noble Lavros is out with an injury, but is on the way back as well,” she added.
Kotzikas, one of New Zealand’s prominent owners and breeders, won the 1997 New Zealand Cup with Iraklis.
The Brisbane-born and Lowood High School-educated trainer said she had to prick herself that she even had an Inter Dominion starter, let alone a possible grand finalist.
“Am I dreaming all of this, because it just seems just like yesterday when I was a teenager still at school and watching Kasyanov run second behind Sundons Gift in 2010 Grand Final. That was pretty emotional for us.
“I was so proud of Dad. I will never forget it. Kasyanov was a great old horse. We love him as much as we do Majestic Lavros. Kasyanov is 15 now, and still with us,” Gillespie said.
“I’ve grown up around horses, so everyone knows what Inter Dominion 23 means to me. Hopefully it won’t be my last. If he could run a place or even finish in the first five in the Grand Final, that would be a win to me. Actually, just making would be a dream come true,” she added.
Gillespie has trained 141 winners from 1,828 starters since the 2015-2016 season. She has also placed 350 times and banked $881,064 in purses. He best year came in 2022 when she trained 36 winners – 12 more than her current 2023 tally.
Her training colours are white, Five Star Horse Transport logo, with blue stars and sleeves.
But Gillespie is not just kind to standardbreds – humans too!. She was also recently promoted in her ‘Blue Care’ 8am-4pm Monday to Friday job with the elderly.
“I finished my Year 12 studies and worked for Dad and also did part-time in a café when I left school. Then I got my job with ‘Blue Care’ and have carried on training horses throughout both jobs.”
“It’s a satisfying feeling to win races, considering I’ve had to endure 3.45am starts, and then at the other end, 8pm finishes, to make it all work,” Gillespie said.
“’Blue Care’ is important, because I need that income when my horses aren’t doing so well. I’m not complaining though. This is a lifestyle choice. I will always train horses – I love them too much not to,” she added.
She said her parents were her inspiration.
“I’ve learnt a lot from Dad over the years, and I’m just grateful to him for all the owners he brings to my stable. I’ve always been his strapper. Now I want to do my best for Dad, and all the owners and the breeders. I love Dad and Mum (Tanya) both dearly and would not be where I am today without them,” said Gillespie, who is the middle of three children. The others are Amie and Madison.
Inter Dominion points going into tonight’s third round of heats:
Ladbrokes ID23 Scoring Updates
Previous stories I’ve written about Tayla Gillespie can be viewed at these links:
