Success for small stable

LUNA Lodge Harness, a small horse stable in Mount Wallace, is celebrating a race win at Kilmore trots last month.

Four-year-old Luna Dream won the last run of the night, race 10, on Thursday 18 July.

Trainer Warren Greene said she was the first-bred horse to be trained at Luna Lodge Harness.

“She drew really well,” he said. “She sat behind the leader the whole way.

“Coming into the straight, she was able to get access to the sprint lane and just came home. She won by a couple of metres.

“She’s had 15 starts, two wins, and a place now.”

Mr Greene’s wife Dot Greene said Luna Lodge Harness has boomed in his retirement. They’re currently racing three horses and two yearlings just finished breaking in.

“My husband is the trainer, after retiring from the police force a few years ago, and I am a casual relief teacher,” she said.

“Warren began helping our son Brett with his horses at a friend’s place in Melton but decided that he would like to take on training our own horses.

“At the same time, we were starting to breed horses from a small 10-acre property in Ballan. We bred two of our own horses to raise, train and race from there.”

They moved to 50 acres at Mount Wallace, which had stables, yards, and an old track, in September of 2020.

“The property was very run down and needed a lot of repairs and upgrades,” Mrs Greene said.

“In the first few months, we rebuilt the training track, painted the stables, fixed the sand roll and upgraded some yards, to be able to cater for the work we wanted to do.

“We have continued to make improvements and still have much more to do.”

Luna Lodge Harness, named after one of the Greenes’ youngsters, is home to four two-year-olds, two three-year-olds, three yearlings and one weanling, seven broodmares (three are in foal), and two retired horses.

“We’ve really got high hopes for the younger horses,” Mr Greene said. “They’re exciting; they give you opportunity and hope.”

Since the stable was established, the couple have had eight winners; Luna Dream has won two, Rosie’s Pride has had a win, and Up and About has had five.

Mr Greene said the horses calm and relax him, and Mrs Greene looks forward to doing more with them when she stops working.

“Training, breeding, racing and breaking in young horses was what we wanted to do in our retirement,” she said.

“We love working with horses, watching their development and riding the highs and lows.

“Hopefully there are only highs from now on.”