By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk
Tracy Cadwallader absolutely loves where she lives in Hawke’s Bay, the only problem is the region is barren of harness racing.
Cadwallader is the only trainer in the region, and as a result spends a large portion of her life on the road, not only to travel to the races, but to work her horses as well.
She makes the four-hour round trip to Manawatu Raceway several times a week, as well as a three-hour round trip to the beach to give her team a bit of variety in their work.
“I’ll go at least two to three times to Palmerston North a week to work in company or to fast work,” Cadwallader said.
“I often take them to Ocean Beach twice a week as well, if I can. I love to take them to the beach and that it is an hour and a half from us.”
Her driving hours are set to increase this week, with a two-day trip to Cambridge Raceway on the cards ahead of their Christmas Eve meeting where Cadwallader will line-up Sipowicz and Easy Does It in the Chanelle Lawson Photography Mobile Pace (2200m).
While hoping for an early Christmas present on Thursday, Cadwallader is realistic and is expecting another educational run for her two runners.
“It is always a long trip, but they need to race, so I have got to do something about it,” she said.
“It is a shame that they are in the same race, but it is what it is.
“I was really happy with Easy Does Its debut run last start. He is still a bit of a baby and I couldn’t be any happier with him running fourth.
“Sipowicz has only just learnt to be a racehorse, even though he is eight. He was left in the paddock for a few years.”
Cadwallader initially trained in the late nineties before taking a 20-year break to ride trackwork for a number of thoroughbred trainers throughout the North Island.
Her love for harness racing, ignited by her father, never faded and she decided to return to the sport last season.
“My father had a horse called Nover Circle (who had four starts for Cadwallader) and he won four races,” she said.
“I have been meaning to get back into it for a long time. I rode track work for a long time and then took a few years off to have my daughter, who is now five.
“I thought it’s time to get back in the game, and I really love it.”
Cadwallader said she is looking forward to testing her two runners at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday and may even find herself running into Santa as she pulls into her driveway in the wee hours of Friday morning after her long trip home.
