At just 28 years of age, young Queensland horsewoman Tayla Gillespie understands the opportunity that presents her over the next few weeks.
The up-and-coming local conditioner arrives at the prestigious Inter Dominion series in her own backyard with a square gaiter who has claims of being competitive throughout the series.
The Kiwi-bred Majestic Lavros has not shown his best form in recent weeks but the Prenzlau-based trainer thinks she has her trotter back to where he needs to be ahead of Friday’s opening round of heats.
Majestic Lavros and Gillespie enter ‘ID23’ ranked 15th overall for the trotting gait and have drawn two for the second of the heats from Albion Park on Friday evening.
Fellow Queensland trainer Tim Butt has reflected in recent weeks that an Inter Dominion series can be the making of a young trainer in the Australasian landscape.
While Gillespie is not counting her chickens before they hatch, she does appreciate the opportunity she has been handed by Majestic Lavros’ owner Mark Gurry.
“You dream of moments like this to even have horses like this that are good enough to be considered to go in it,” the emerging horsewoman said.
“We are really pumped.
“Mark liked the horse over in New Zealand and followed a lot of his races over there and he bought him with the Inter Dominion in Brisbane in mind this year.
“Mark looked for him for us and now he is here.”
The Gurry and Gillespie surnames have been linked for decades.
The long-time owner had horses with Tayla’s father – Shaun Gillespie – when he was training.
Shaun has stepped back from the training ranks in recent years to support his daughter in her journey.
Just as Tayla aims to be in the coming weeks, the Gurry and Gillespie team have been ultra-competitive in trotting ID series’ before, as well.
Kasyanov ran the race of his life back in 2010 when he finished a brave second in the Inter Dominion Trotting Grand Final at Moonee Valley splitting the Chris Lang duo of Sundons Gift and Skyvalley.
At the time, respected harness voice Chris Barsby wrote that Kasyanov’s performance was clearly the best effort of a Queensland trotter in the 40-year history of the event.
To follow in her father’s footsteps and prepare a trotter for an ID series in their own backyard, Tayla is relishing in the opportunity ahead of her.
Shaun has been a close mentor and influence for his daughter throughout her time in the caper.