By Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Monday’s Redcliffe Paceway winner, Major Slip Up, was nicknamed ‘Phil’ long before Prenzlau horseman, Phil Keats,, took over the training duties in late 2021.
Keats mother, and co-owner, Janet, said her son had always had a soft spot for the now 8-year-old bay gelding, who won race two on Monday (May 15) at odds of more than 50 to one.
“Major Slip Up was previously owned and trained by Billy Crosby, but Phil kept telling him that he had a soft spot for the horse. In fact, I think he told him every time he saw him. He would say ‘I’m going to train that horse when you are finished with him’.
“I think Billy finally relented, leasing the horse to Phil. Ironically his nick name was ‘Phil’ at Billy’s barn. We leased him in late 2021 and bought him in September 2022,” Mrs Keats said.
Since the stable change, Major Slip Up has now had 53 starts for Keats, with nine of his 14 wins have come via the former Kiwi horseman.
The gelding now dubbed a “spoilt family pet”, went past $50,000 in stake earnings ($51,468) in Monday’s Hustler Super X NR44-48 Pace. All-up he’s had 91 starts for 14 wins and 17 placings.
Six of those victories have come at ‘The Triangle’ – including a personal best of 1:55.8 recorded on December 13 last year.
Due to his work commitments at the Dinmore Meat Works in Riverview, driving has become less of a priority for the 49-year-old who drove Major Slip Up to Monday’s 1.1 metre, victory (1:58:5 mile-rate) was in fact a rarity for the former New Zealand junior.
Since 2010 Keats has driven three winners. In 2009 he drove four. Two of those three were behind Major Slip – on Monday and Boxing Day 2022. The third came via Living Free at Marburg on August 5, 2018.
Major Slip Up provided Keats with his 34th win from 755 starts since the 2001-2002 season. He’s also placed 131 times and netted $145,271 in stake earnings. His best season was last year when he trained five winners and 12 placings from just 37 starters.
In the sulky Keats has saluted the judge 33 times from 835 starts since 1998-1999. He’s also placed 33 times ($113,700). His best season in the bike came in 2011-2012 when he won 11 times from 102 starts . He also placed 17 times.
“Phil has a busy family and work life, but our stable is a family-based one. My husband Gerald works alongside Phil, as does our daughter, Leanne, who sometimes helps out. Phil and Gerald break in a few outside yearlings, plus our own.
“They do a great job, whereas I’m just the one who is the general rouse about helping muck out boxes, clean the sheds, gear, and have the driving gear colours ready and makes the cups of coffee. Gerald and I sometimes take the horses to and from the races when Phil is working. We only ever race one or two at a time.
“This fella (Major Slip Up) is part of our family. He’s spoilt rotten. You have to be a bit careful with him though because he can give you a hurry up if you are not looking, but we absolutely love him like we do family,” Mrs Keats said.
The Keats family also has 4-year-old Mr Feelgood one-win gelding, Enzed Flyer, at the races and they also have a Franco Nelson yearling filly, who is out of the 2012 Art Major two-win mare, Major Hei, who is a half-sister to the 3-year-old Group winning Western Australian 3-year-old filly, Water Lou (13 wins from 19 starts and $284.303).
“We are excited about this purchase. It is the first time our daughter Leanne grandson Wesley have been involved in ownership, and the bloodlines are very promising,” Mrs Keats said.
Asked if she had a bet on Major Slip Up who returned odds of $51 and $7 on the fixed odds tote, Janet replied:
“I don’t bet. I just love seeing our horses do well. You can always hear me though. That’s a standing joke. I’m very proud of Phil for the way he drove the horse to win.”
The 69-year-old Prenzlau pensioner openly admits her only son was always destined for a life of horses. His parents and both sets of grandparents had horses.
“I’m a Reefton Girl and Gerald was from Hokitika. We met through school, sports and then the Greymouth races in 1971. Two years later we were married and now have two children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren
Mrs Keats explained that her father Tom Nicholls had horses, as did Gerald’s father Calvin. In fact, Calvin trained the best horse our family has had.
That was a chestnut pacer named Soanfra, who competed in the 1965 Interdominion Grand Final at Dunedin. He won a heat a heat and finished fifth in the grand final which was dead-heated by Robin Dundee
Mrs Keats and her husband followed their children to Queensland in 2001.
“We sold our farm at Leeston and our four horses, and decided to make a go of it here in Australia. I’m glad we did because harness racing here has brought us all very close together.”
She said her son was now an experienced horseman, who trained 16 winners In New Zealand from 1994 to 1998 before coming to Queensland in late 1998.
“He actually won horse the second annual Darren De Filippi Memorial race with the Peter Bagrie trained Valient Heart, and over here he has trained two Hot Rod winners in 2021 and 2022,” Mrs Keats said.
Keats drove his first winner in the Dick Prendergast colours at Methven on September 16, 1995, behind Awesome Cheval. The Hokitika born horseman worked for New Zealand harness racing giants Roy and Barry Purdon, and then Paul Hadfield, Dick Prendergast, and John Lischner.
When he crossed the Tasman in 1999, he worked for Darryl Graham for a couple of years before he set up his own training establishment on his parents’ property a couple of years later. He said Wolf Man Jack and Major Slip up were the best horses he had trained.
Keats trained and drove his first winner in Queensland behind Mister Doremus at Marburg on September 9, 2001. His partner Leesa and two adult daughters are very supportive.
Footnote: Prenzlau is a rural locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, and boasts a population of 408. It is 68km west of Brisbane.
