IN a decades-long involvement in harness racing both in Western Australia and Victoria, Karlene and Graeme Tindale have scaled the heights of multiple Group 1 wins and created many wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.<\/p>\n
But their first city winner since making the switch to thoroughbred racing little over a year ago at Caulfield last Saturday might nearly top all that has gone before.<\/p>\n
The Haddon-based couple celebrated a breakthrough moment when the lone horse they have racing Nostra Bella produced a stunning upset in the $200,000 Cylinder VOBIS Gold Dash (1200m).<\/p>\n
The three-year-old filly, ridden by Dean Yendall, defied her recent form to win at odds of 150-1.<\/p>\n
It earned the Tindales and their co-owners Terry and Kath Condipodero $110,000 in prize money and an added swag of VOBIS bonuses.<\/p>\n
The only snag was that the Condipoderos were not at the track, but back home in Western Australia.<\/p>\n
An unforgettable moment came 13 months after Karlene saddled up her first runner as a thoroughbred trainer.<\/p>\n
She can hardly lay claim to having trained a full 12 months, with the Tindales perennially taking four months a year off from May through August to travel in their caravan.<\/p>\n
If the weather Gods are kind, they plan to be in Blackall, Queensland, by early May.<\/p>\n
Their first city win emerged as a real pinch-me moment for the Tindales.<\/p>\n
“Never in our wildest dreams when we came to Melbourne to live (in 2007), let alone five years ago, did we imagine that we would be doing this and winning at Caulfield,” Karlene Tindale said.<\/p>\n
“It wasn’t in our dream, but that’s how it just happened to turn out.<\/p>\n
“I don’t think I have ever felt so exhilarated ever \u2026. it was a pretty great feeling.”<\/p>\n
Despite Nostra Bella’s ordinary recent form, Tindale remained convinced of her ability.<\/p>\n
“She works well at home all the time; she’s tough,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s been a little bit disappointing each time we’ve gone to the races, we feel she should do better than she’s done.<\/p>\n
“There’s no doubt she goes better against her own age group.<\/p>\n
“If she settles in the back of the field she’s really not interested, she just plods along.<\/p>\n
“She works at home on her own and I think she likes the freedom of being out on her own.<\/p>\n
“Even her runs as a two-year-old when she’s been out wide have been her better runs, even though she hasn’t been in the winner’s circle.<\/p>\n
“It was just good to see her up front.<\/p>\n
“The way she was ridden was the way she needs to be ridden \u2013 up front and forward, not at the back of the field.<\/p>\n
“It was tough \u2013 she was three-deep most of the way and then went to the front and never gave it away.<\/p>\n
“She had to dig in and fight off the one coming down the outside (Toronado Queen), so she did an exceptional job.<\/p>\n
“It’s days like this that make it all worthwhile.”<\/p>\n
After an almost surreal drive back to Haddon in Golden Plains Shire’s north, the Tindales celebrated their milestone win at the Snake Valley Hotel.<\/p>\n
“By the time you get home, put the horse away and do whatever else you need to do, it’s late and the last thing you feel like doing is getting ready to go out somewhere flash to celebrate,” said Tindale, who continues to dabble in harness racing with a small team.<\/p>\n
“We’ll celebrate in time \u2026 when our partners from Perth come over.<\/p>\n
“That was a bit of a disappointment, but hopefully they can be there for her next win.”<\/p>\n
Nostra Bella claimed her second career win, with her prize money leaping to $226,550 from 14 starts. She broke her maiden at Geelong last November<\/p>\n
On his part, Yendall said it was ‘great’ winning a big race for a small stable like the Tindales.<\/p>\n
“The small trainers, it’s what Victorian racing is all about, the little guys that find it hard to compete against the bigger crew that have got 100-plus horses, where they’ve probably got five on their books,” he said.<\/p>\n
“So, for them to get a winner like this is going to really help them along and it’s a great payday for them.”<\/p>\n
The six-time Group 1-winning jockey said the race had unfolded virtually as planned.<\/p>\n
“The guys were pretty adamant for me to roll forward on her and let the race unfold,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I began well; I was going to be three-wide no matter what.<\/p>\n
“They steadied up there from the 900 to the 400 and I was happy to just let her roll within herself without taking off on her.<\/p>\n
“They seemed to be under pressure early. I thought I was travelling well for a horse that’s meant to be 200\/1 but she didn’t know that – I didn’t know that.<\/p>\n
“In the straight I asked her for an effort, which she actually gave and I thought, ‘ooh, we’re half a chance here’, and I asked for a bit more and she stuck on really well.<\/p>\n
“She was there to be beaten at the 50; everything was coming but they just weren’t good enough to get past her.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IN a decades-long involvement in harness racing both in Western Australia and Victoria, Karlene and Graeme Tindale have scaled the heights of multiple Group 1 wins and created many wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. But their first city winner since making the switch to thoroughbred racing little over a year ago at Caulfield […]<\/p>\n