Trainer Andy Gath and Tornado Valley might be one of harness racing’s most memorable duos, and long after retirement the champion Long Forest trotter remains in the spotlight.
Gath is chasing his first victory in the IRT Tornado Valley Trot Final – a race named after the million-dollar earner – with Chinese Whisper this Friday night at Melton.
“He was such a great horse for me, Tornado Valley. Always honoured to have a race named after one of your horses,” Gath said.
Chinese Whisper has shown to be a late finisher and looks a real contender in the $30,000 feature won by Ollivici in 2022.
“His last two runs, he has run the fastest last mile of any horse in the race. He’s ticking along okay,” Gath said.
“Anytime you have heats and finals, you know the race is going to be pretty strong. He needs things to go his way.”
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL FRIDAY NIGHT FIELDS
The honour of winning a race named in admiration of his very own horse isn’t lost on a trainer with 57 Group 1 wins.
“To have one and to have a horse that hasn’t been that long retired, it’ll be great to win it,” Gath explained.
“Chinese Whisper has the same owner as Tornado Valley, Norm Jenkin. So, it will be a thrill to him if we can get the job done.”
Tornado Valley, who was driven by Gath's wife Kate in all bar one of his Australian starts, finished in ninth spot on the all-time prizemoney list for Australasian-bred trotters with $1,033,977 in the bank. Among his 39 wins were many races at Group 1 level, highlighted by the 2018 Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Grand Final and Great Southern Star Final in 2020 and 2021.
Gath also has a runner in the Aldebaran Park Need For Speed Prince Final in Watts Up Partytime.
The three-year-old was trained by Rickie Alchin in NSW before Gath took over for the Need For Speed heats.
Watts Up Partytime ran second in the heat to the Alison Alford-trained Grumpee.
“He was a bit of a headache horse for Rickie for a long time,” he said.
“He kept getting things wrong, and Rickie thought the relationship had to end. It will be tough to beat the favourite (The Locomotive) - he has got a little chance of winning.”
Managing the gelding on race day has been the biggest issue for Gath.
“He’s pretty good at home and Rickie does say that,” Gath said.
“It’s probably race day that he gets a little bit nervous and having other horses around him in a field he does get a bit anxious.”
Kate Gath will partner both Chinese Whisper and Watts Up Partytime among her book of six drives.
The Need for Speed Princess, TAB George Gath and Lifestyle Communities Bob Conroy 2YO Trotters Classic are among the other features on an all-squaregaiting card at Melton on Friday night.
TUNE IN at MELTON on Friday
First Race: 6pm Last Race: 10.10pm
Racecaller: Dan Mielicki.
TrotsVision: WATCH LIVE
SEN Track: LISTEN LIVE
RSN 927: LISTEN LIVE
Winner of the Week
VEGAS STRIP, by American Ideal out of Vegas Delight, at Gloucester Park on September 29.
Breed your next winner with Woodlands Stud, supporter of Trots Centre
