She only has one horse in her stable and only recently acquired her owner-trainer licence, but Darwin trainer Chloe Baxter celebrated success for the first time on Saturday.
The 30-year-old experienced the exhilaration of victory when three-year-old gelding First Crusade took out the $20,000 Merit Partners TROBIS 3YO 0-66 Handicap (1100m) at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
Baxter actually purchased the horse in February, and following First Crusade’s third NT appearance on May 21 she took over as the fulltime trainer from Garry Lefoe, whom she was working for at the time.
After securing her accreditation and developing the necessary skills, Baxter felt it was time to launch her training career.
Arriving in Darwin from Victoria a decade ago, Baxter has always had horses from a young age and used to participate in showjumping and dressage competition.
Starting out with Darwin trainer Phil Cole, Baxter worked as a stable-hand and strapper before doing track work.
She then started working for Lefoe, who was disqualified for 15 months by Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory stewards on June 22 after four of his horses returned positive drug results, and now works for Darwin trainer Tayarn Halter as the stable’s assistant trainer.
On top of fulltime employment with betting agency Sportsbet, Baxter has plenty on her plate.
As owner, she had every reason to celebrate when First Crusade arrived from Queensland to post two wins in April over 1100m (0-58) before lining up against his own age group at 0-56 level on May 21 over 1100m, where he finished a narrow second to Super Famous.
Baxter then took over the reins with First Crusade coming third over 1100m (0-62) on June 25 before getting the cash last Saturday – Day 2 of the Darwin Cup Carnival.
With Casey Hunter in the saddle, the Nicconi gelding ($2.15 fav) settled in front after jumping from gate six and, although pressured by $2.80 second favourite Super Famous (Adam Nicholls) turning for home, raced clear in the home straight to win by five lengths.
John Peacock’s Super Famous – spotting First Crusade 2.5kg – was second home, while Kym Healy’s $31 outsider Starlite Rebel (Jade Hampson) produced a big finish to grab third place.
“To get my first win was very exciting, absolutely, I couldn’t believe it,” Baxter said.
“I always thought he was a good chance, I obviously hoped he’d win – but I didn’t think he would win the way that he did in the end.
“I thought Super Famous was going to catch him, but no, he flew.”
As Fannie Bay racecaller Craig Sant said after the race, “Well, it’s probably going to get harder than this, Chloe, but at the moment you’ve just got to enjoy it.”
Baxter said she and Hunter had devised a plan for the race, but was also happy for Hunter to implement alternative tactics if she saw fit.
“I sort of thought Phil Cole’s Turnstar and John Peacock’s Super Famous would probably lead, but I know that he can lead, but I was more inclined to see how everything jumped and sit behind them if we had to,” she said.
“We just wanted to see because the one outside us as well, Cassatt, that can lead.
“It was just sort of see how they all jumped together and after last start we know that he can go forward or wait, so it was just really to see how everything else went.
“But once he pinned the gates there wasn’t a heap of mad speed in the race, obviously we know that he has led before here, so Casey just made the brilliant call and got him to the fence and away they went.”
The thrill of winning a race as an owner-trainer wasn’t lost on Baxter, a lot different than celebrating as a strapper – although the excitement is certainly comparable.
“Absolutely, yeah, it was very exciting, and also to get a trophy and have to do a speech – it was all happening at once, but it was amazing,” Baxter said.
“I don’t think it can get much better than this – I think I am very lucky with this horse.
“I celebrated with friends and it was a very good night, so that was fun.”
Baxter plans to start First Crusade on July 23 in a $40,000 race for the three-year-olds over 1200m before hopefully finding a race for him on Darwin Cup Day on August 1.
“He’ll then have a nice and well-deserved break in the paddock,” she said.
And when will that second horse arrive at the stable?
“I’m looking,” Baxter said.
“There’s an Inglis online sale on at the moment – so I will have to have a better look at it, but yeah, hopefully not too far away.”
Meanwhile, South Australian trainer Kym Healy enjoyed a successful day at Fannie Bay on Saturday as well, proving once again that his horses are competitive no matter if they race in Darwin or Alice Springs.
Healy has been travelling to the Northern Territory for years, with grand old mare Pretty Blonde putting him in the headlines with success in the 2014 Darwin Cup and the 2014 and 2017 Alice Springs Cups.
Wicked Addiction (Wayne Davis) was victorious over 1600m (0-62) by 0.8 lengths, with the four-year-old gelding winning over the same distance in the same grade and by the same margin of victory as he did on Alice Springs Cup Day on May 1.
Real Valentia (Sairyn Fawke), a four-year-old gelding, chased hard in the closing stages before finishing second after just failing to catch Tayarn Halter’s Expert Witness over 1000m (0-58), while three-year-old filly Starlite Rebel – with 52kg on her back after apprentice Jade Hampson claimed 3kg – was third behind First Crusade.
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