For 25 years, Neil Stevens has helped give everyday harness racing fans the chance to experience the thrill of owning a racehorse.
On Saturday night, around 60 members of the Ballarat and District Trotting Club Standardbred Group will dream of something bigger when their two-year-old filly La Cantatrice contests the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series final at Melton.
Stevens helped establish the syndicate with a simple philosophy – make racehorse ownership affordable and accessible.
“We put the thing together 25 years ago simply to give the little person a chance to have an interest,” Stevens said.
“We used to work on basically a cup of coffee a week – four or five dollars a week gave them an interest.
“We’ve got around 60 people involved now and I reckon probably 45 of those have been in since day one.”
The model has proven remarkably successful, with several horses earning more than $100,000, and La Cantatrice is adding another memorable chapter.
Trained by Geoff Webster and driven by rising star Ewa Justice, the daughter of Poster Boy won her Vicbred heat before finishing runner-up to boom filly Kahula from barrier 11 in last weekend’s semi-final.
“We’re realistic. We’re bumping into two very smart ones, but she’s a very tough little filly,” Stevens said.
For Stevens, now 82, the success is about more than prizemoney, with the syndicate bringing up to 30 people through the gates when their horse races.
“That’s exactly what the game’s all about, isn’t it?”
There is another compelling story in the sulky.
Justice’s association with La Cantatrice began almost by chance when Webster approached her at the Melton trials.
“I saw Geoff in the car park, and he asked if I could drive one for him at the trials,” Justice said.
“I expected it to just be a trial drive, but I managed to keep the drive all the way through.”
Justice is chasing her first Group 1 victory in Victoria, having already tasted success at the elite level with Modern Bliss in Tasmania.
“Ideal Frankie and Kahula are going to be tremendously hard to beat, but my filly tries so hard,” she said.
“If the race is run to suit, I definitely think she’s a chance.”
Adding another layer, Justice will compete against her father John, a winner of more than 2000 races and the man who partnered champion Shakamaker.
He trains and drives Westeria, who is one of the outsiders of the field.
“It’s very cool. He’s got a bit more experience than me,” she laughed.
For one little filly and a syndicate built for the “little person”, Saturday night could become their biggest night of all.
