By Duane Ranger (courtesy of the Maitland Harness Racing Club)
The Lagoon (NSW) driver, Isobel Ross, has now won five Group Three races, but Saturday night’s 62nd edition of the Kirkwood’s Produce $30,000 Inter City Final at Maitland Raceway, will always be the most sentimental, and a race she will never ever forget.
Just seven days after the passing of her much-loved 90-year-old grandfather, Don Ross Senior in Queensland, his grand-daughter got to wear Mr Ross’s white and red-coloured silks for the very first time when the Amanda Turnbull- trained and unbeaten, Shez Sweet Louise (4), easily triumphed in the feature 2,422m mobile.
“I’ve done it tough this last week, but I’ll never forget this win as long as I live. The only other time I got to wear ‘Pop’s’ colours was when I was driving the Mini Pony’s. I’m so grateful to the owners Mick Boots and Amanda Turnbull for allowing me to wear the 2,422m mobile feature pace by 3.6 metres.
“I’ve worked for Amanda for nearly seven years, and Amanda, and her parents Steve and Jenny, were also very close to ‘Pop. His passing has affected us all and we have all taken it pretty badly. We didn’t get home from the races until 2am and had no time to celebrate, but I’ll remember him today (Sunday),” Ross said.
“In fact, I think of ‘Pop’ every day for various reasons. Every day there’s something knew that reminds me of him. It’s just so sad that I can no longer pick up the phone every day and talk to him. He was very supportive of my driving, and at the same time kept me honest when I didn’t drive so well. I’m absolutely gutted,” the emotional 27-year-old added.
Ross is the youngest of five children, and was the last child born in a set of quadruplets. Her oldest sibling is Donald, and her fellow quads are Sam, Stephanie, and Victoria.
She said she was rapt to be part of the Turnbull quinella in Saturday’s (May 28) Inter City Grand Final.
Shez Sweet Louise was the $1.65 favourite, while the Will Roxon-driven Fashion Icon was the third favourite ay $6.50.
“I thought if the mare got to the front she would be hard to peg back, and thankfully we were able to lead from the outset. She paced really well throughout. She’s a very nice horse to drive. I’ve always enjoyed sitting behind her. She picks up when you ask her to.
“The mare has come through the race really well and has eaten up everything. I think she is in very a very good season next year. I really loved driving at Maitland. I could hear the crowd so clearly as they cheered us on. It’s a shame that there are not more meetings there. It’s a great track to drive on,” Ross said.
Once in front Shez Sweet Louise was always going to prove hard to beat, and when $4 second favourite Rakero Ice broke at the top of the home straight the first time, the race was for second.
Shez Sweet Louise stopped the clock in 2:59.5 (mile rate 1:593), which was 1,6 seconds slower than what the Roy Roots Jr-trained and Grace Panella-driven Boyzhavtime set in an Inter City heat on December 23 last year.
The 4-year-old Sweet Lou-Blaze Of Glory (American Ideal) mare has now won all five of her career starts ($47,952) since making her winning debut at Bathurst on August 16 last year. She has also gone four-from-four in 2024.
The two night-night proved a successful one for Ross, winning four times in two nights and finishing first and third (Master Manager R1) on Saturday.
“It was easy driving to the races thinking about ‘Pop’, but once I got there I started to focus on the races, and wearing my grandfather’s colours both cheered me up and gave me a strong will to win,” Ross said.
“It was a spectacular night and one I will never forget. I loved seeing the Mini Trotters going around as well. It reminded me of when I first started out in this sport,” she added.
Ross has now reined 347 winners ($2.7m) since she got her license in the 2013-2014 season. Her best year came in 2017-2018 when she saluted the judge 69 times for $247,068 in purses. This season Ross has driven 26 winners from 211 starts. She’s also placed 49 times and netted $310,181 in stakes.
As well as three Listed Class victories, she has also won four other Group Three events behind the Amanda Turnbull trained Sweet Heaven in the $30,000 Red Ochre Fillies and Mares Classic at Dubbo on December 17, 2021; the Turnbull trained Gotta Party Doll in the same race on December 18, 2020; the Turnbull-trained Eye See Diamonds in the $30,000 Teeny Teeny Stakes at Tabcorp Park Menangle on December 1, 2018; and the Grant Dixon-trained Red Charmer in the $30,000 South East Oaks at Albion Park on July 7, 2018.
Ross’s most lucrative victory came in the Listed Classic $100,000 Regional Championship Western Final behind the Turnbull-trained Iam The Captain at Bathurst on May 17 last year.
But on top of all of these there has been no more special win that Saturday night’s Inter City Grand Final.
“That one was for you ‘Pop’. I’m sure he was watching down on me,” the Queensland native said.
FUNERAL:
Don Ross Senior was not only a quality horseman, but up until November last year was one of the finest ‘red coats’ to have ever graced an Australian racetrack. For more than 30 years he was a prolific clerk-of-the course
Mr Ross Senior was inducted to the Queensland Harness Racing Hall of Fame in 2016, and later was a member of the Hall of Fame selection panel. In 2023 he was awarded life membership of the Albion Park Harness Racing Club. He was introduced to harness horses by his parents and was involved in chariot racing in the 1950s.
Mr Ross Senior’s funeral will be held at Albion Park next Sunday (January 5) at 10.30am.
MORE EMOTION AS GRACE PENALLA NAILS A HATRICK AND PLACES IN THE INTER CITY FINAL
Personal sentiment also prevailed for local Pokolbin (35km from Maitland) reinswoman, who won a third of the nine-race card – via her only starter from her own stable (Bo Duke in race one); the Stephen Kilroy trained Jeffcoate in race two; and the Robin Hosking Snr trained Wallaroy Boy in race seven.
She also ran third behind the Brendon Flaherty trained $5.30 place-getter Sally Bigtime in the Inter City Final.
But it was race two that provided the gifted 22-year-old with both a tinge of sadness and delight, as she donned the colours of the late John ‘Red Hot’ Jeffcoate, who passed away on March 3, 2019.
“This was a very special win behind this fella (Jeffcoate). John meant the world to me. It was such an honour again to win this race in his colours (black, yellow sleeves). I’ll never forget him,” Panella said just moments after winning the Multicam Routing Systems NR Up to 50 Pace.
Jeffcoate, a He’s Watching 6-year-old bay gelding, has now won nine of his 95 starts (22 placings) and $86,161. He is owned by Tiarn McElhinney; John Brannelly and his friend, Andrew Nicholls.
McElhinney explained that Panella was a little girl when she lived in Condell Park where Mr Jeffcoate trained his standardbreds, and later got to drive Jeffcoate when he arrived at Stephen Kilroy’s Limeburners Creek stable.
“He is very special to ‘Gracie’ and me. I have known him all my life. Sadly, John passed away on the day we bought the horse. He had sat at the Sales with us all day and when we got home we got a call from his nephew (John Brannelly) to say he had died. It was very sudden and unexpected.
“We named him Jeffcoate in honour of ‘Red Hot’ and his nephew, John – who registered the silks in his Uncle’s colours. We have the name ‘Red Hot printed on the sleeves to remind us he’s always driving, as well as a tribute to him on the chest.
“The horse had two angels sitting with both the horse and ‘Gracie’ on Saturday, as ‘Red Hot’s’, brother Norman, passed away earlier this week too, so Saturday’s triumph would be extra sentimental to the family,” McElhinney said.
“He’s a beautiful little horse with a huge heart. It’s like a reunion when ‘Gracie’ drives him. It’s like the Condell Park crew is back together again as we also trained in Condell Park where my father (Glenn) did a lot of driving for ‘Red Hot’. I also trained the last winner ‘Red Hot’ owned. That was The Stevedore at Bathurst in March 2017.
Jeffcoate is more affectionately known as Jeffy. So much so he has his own little fan club, and even Fred Hastings called him Jeffy in a race call one night. ‘Red Hot was a huge character, and the horse has certainly shown us at times that John is still with us,” Menangle Park-based McElhinney said.
Meanwhile, Panella also ran third behind the Brendon Flaherty trained Sally Bigtime in Saturday’s Inter City Pace Grand Final. The gifted reinswoman also holds the Maitland track record (2,422m mobile) for her drive behind the Roy Roots (Jnr)-trained $14 shot, Boyzhavtime, in an Inter City heat on December 30, 2023. That night the Boyzhavtime stopped the clock in 2:57.9 (mile rate 1:58.2).
Club Viewpoint from Maitland Harness Racing Club Secretary, Sharon Murphy:
“We are delighted that 4,000 people (similar to last year) attended our meeting on Saturday. We half-expected it though, because people have always loved coming here. It’s a country track that is so close to the crowd. You can almost reach out and touch the horses in the home straight.
“We got about 1,500 for the heats and have been building on our numbers each year, and it is both surprising and sad that our Club has tentatively only been allocated two TAB meetings in December next year, because it’s a great little track (776m) and the Club deserves better. Hopefully, things can change in the future. Locally, there is no bigger race to win, outside of Newcastle. As you can see by Saturday night we deserve more than next year’s two Inter City (heats and grand final) meetings. It is still to be confirmed but at this stage it appears that’s all we are going to get.
“Traditionally we used to have a lot more meetings, and that is where we are trying to get back to. You only have to ask the public what they want. There are so many horses they train and race from the Hunter Valley. It’s a shame because the crowds have steadily got bigger each year. Yes, Saturday night was definitely a success. We will be looking to go even bigger in 12 months.
“It was also so good to have our Mini Trotters racing on Saturday night as well. It was great how they led out the Inter City Finals field. We just love supporting the local drivers of the future, Our Calcutta Night, was also very well attended at the Windsor Castle Hotel in East Maitland on Friday night.
“It was heartening to see that two of Saturday night’s winners were trained by our committee members, Wallaroy Boy (R7) is trained by Robin Hosking and Half Holiday, who won the last race (R9) is trained by Darren Grant. Both Grant and his son Matt are both on the committee.”
RACE-NIGHT WINNERS:
Race 1: The Carlton United – NBN Television NR55-65 Pace:
Winner: The Grace Panella (Pokolbin) trained and driven BO DUKE.
Race 2: The Multicam Routing Systems NR Up to 50 Pace:
Winner: The Stephen Kilroy (Limeburners Creek) trained and Grace Panella driven JEFFCOATE.
Race 3: The HVRA NR Up to 55 Pace:
The Keith McDeed trained (East Maitland) and Leigh Sutton driven LA DERNIERE.
Race 4: The $100,000 Open Windsor Castle Maitland Cup:
The Lisa McDonald (Salt Ash) owned & trained, and Seaton Grima driven MASTER CATCH.
Race 5: THE KIRKWOOD’S PRODUCE 62ND GROUP THREE $30,000 INTER CITY FINAL:
THE AMANDA TURNBULL TRAINED (THE LAGOON) AND ISOBEL ROSS DRIVEN SHEZ SWEET LOUISE (Sweet Lou – Blaze Of Glory – American Ideal). Owner: Boots Property Racing (M.W. Boots) and sandy Lodge (J.A. Turnbull). Breeder: Sheldon Murtha (NZ). The $1.65 favourite won by 3.6 metres in 2:59.5 (1:59.3 mile-rate) for the 2,422m mobile. Second was stablemate, Fashion Icon (Will Rixon), and third was Sally Bigtime (Grace Panella).
The track record for the 2,422m mobile was set by the Roy Roots (Jnr)-trained and Grace Panella-driven $14 shot, Boyzhavtime in an Inter City heat on December 30, 2023, in 2:57.9 (mile rate 1:58.2).
Race 6: The William Lindsay Classy NR Up to 50 Pace:
The Greg Lewis trained (Sawyers Gully) and Shannon Lindsay trained DE LA RENTA.
Race 7:
The Garrard’s Horse And Hound NR Up to 45 Pace:
The Robin Hosking Snr trained (East Maitland) and Grace Panella driven WALLAROY BOY.
Race 8:
The Download The TAB App Today NR Up to 45 Pace:
The Keith McDeed trained (East Maitland) and Leigh Sutton driven MISS PERIGNON.
Race 9:
The Charlie and Carmen Camilleri NR Up to 45 Pace:
The Darren Grant (Luskintyre) trained and Jack Callaghan driven HALF HOLIDAY.
SCENES FROM RACE-NIGHT:
