There was a bit of history repeating itself for Ken Ford at Motukarara on Sunday.
The veteran trainer brought up his 200th training success when Misty Blue, driven by grand-daughter Sheree Tomlinson, rushed home to win the Happy 21st Toddy McDermott Mobile Pace.
The milestone came after his daughter Amanda, Sheree’s mother, drove his 100th training success with Zachary Binx in the Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup on the same track 10 years ago.
“We were excited as hell,” he says when describing Misty Blue’s win.
Now 76, Ken Ford has had 168 winners on his own account and 32 in partnership with Amanda. The Ford Factory, as it’s been called, is very much a family-orientated set up.
“They talk about Next Gen – well we’ve been doing that for 50 years. I had Amanda and (son) Clint on the ponies since they were one!”
These days Ford is always helping out though health issues over the years mean he is on “restricted” duties.
He only really got serious about harness racing after buying a lock of land at West Melton just outside Christchurch.
His first winner was Aramid at Addington in 2002.
Since then he’s bred and raced a slew of good horses, highlighted by going back to back in the country’s biggest trotting race the Dominion with two horses they bred themselves, Amaretto Sun in 2017 and Marcoola a year later.
“Half the fun is seeing them through from an embryo to a Dominion winner,” he says.
Paying $91, Amaretto Sun’s upset win saw a 19-year-old Sheree Tomlinson become the first female driver to win the prestigious Group 1. Son Clint drove Marcoola when he won.
These days Ken Ford breeds to about five mares a year.
“There are a few Marcoolas running around the place so that’s pretty exciting.”
One of them, a three-year-old called Rogue Hero is nominated for Ashburton this weekend.
“He’s been off the place twice and won twice.”
As for Misty Blue she was one of 14 horses that Bruce Negus came home with from the 2021 Standardbred Weanling Sale at Karaka.
On Sunday her win was her third in 19 starts, and her second in a row.
Sheree Tomlinson and partner, race caller Matthew Cross are among those that race Misty Blue.
“Bruce invited us to have a pick of a few in a paddock and she was the one we chose,” Cross says.
She was a cheap enough buy for Negus at $4,000 and has already accrued $33,400 in stakes.
Her residual value has also dramatically increased. She is now a half sister to four winners including Yossi (18 wins and $174k) and the very handy Pinseeker (5 wins to date).
Of the 14 that Negus brought home from the sales, seven have made it to the races so far with Oliver (trained by Colin and Julie DeFilippi), Munroe’s Mate (Tony Barron) and Quinn, who Negus trains himself, all having won twice.
Footnote : And it won’t be long before the Ford/Tomlinson clan celebrate another milestone. Sheree Tomlinson drove a double at Motukarara (Misty Blue and Dancing With The Boss) to be on 297 career wins.
