Trots Centre: Breeder Gary's trots life a real page turner

A surprise arrival and a good book have delivered a lifetime of memories and many winning moments for Gary Merkel, an owner, trainer and breeder, whose third generation mare steps out at Shepparton tonight.

Roslyn Gaye will contest the TAB Long May We Play Pace with Damian Wilson in the sulky and Merkel in the stands he knows well, with the lights and sounds of the Shepparton track having lured him in many decades ago.

“I used to go to tech school footy training at Shepparton and could hear the trots going on and I got keen on it,” the 78-year-old said.

In the decade to follow the first seeds would be planted that would transform that interest into a passion.

“My (late) brother (Reg) dropped a horse at my place, I took it to a stud at Cobram and bred a foal (to General Scott) out of it,” Merkel said.

“I didn’t know anything about it. I got it going a little bit and leased it to Tommy Brain. He gave it back to me and I got this book about how to train.”

With help from Merkel’s wife Kathy, it was recalled that all-important literature was Care & Training of the Trotter & Pacers by James Harrison.

“It was this big green book and you’d read about harness racing horses and how they’re trained,” he said.

“There were a lot of New Zealand trainers in it and I read that to learn what to do in harness racing.

“I asked my friends how to drive them, got an old cart and there used to be a training track behind Shepparton (race course) which I used. I ended up winning a race with (that first horse Merkie Flood) and away I went.”

It was the ‘60s and Merkel was then in his 20s, hooked on harness racing and he would soon build on that passion by breeding, training and occasionally driving.

Most significant was his purchase of a mare off John Tweddle, son of Cloverdale Stud’s Geoff Tweddle.

That mare was Narryna Way, to whom he’d breed six foals including Narryna Guy, who would win seven of 21 races including a Vicbred Super Series three-year-old title for Gavin Lang.

Madam Narryna would follow, winning 12 times for Merkel and gifting him four more foals, including Roslyn Gaye, presently the apple of his eye.

“Madam Narryna and Roslyn Gaye, they are just lovely, so kind and have such great spirits,” he said.

“It’s just nice to breed them, race them and then breed from them. I go out there and they just follow me around and it’s just lovely. To think I wasn’t a horse person, I just picked one up and to think I’m still going 50 years on.”

Tonight Roslyn Gaye has her 52^nd start, with hopes she can build on her seven wins and 11 placings, albeit amid a tough field with a wide national rating band.

“They have got her at 50-1, it will be tough but she is such a good mare,” Merkel said. “It will be interesting to see. She’s really working well.

“She has brilliant gate speed and if you can take hold of her and give her a couple of easy quarters she can come home again.”

She is one of two in the stable at present, with Merkel having also bred Argy Bargy, who is by Artistic Fella and out of Global Village.

He broke through for his first win at Shepparton in May but has been a handful of late.

“He just can’t get his legs to go with his head,” Merkel said. “He is working as good as Roslyn Gaye at home, but take him to the track and he has a nerves problem.”

There are no such nerves for Roslyn Gaye, who will strut her stuff tonight on Trots Vision at 7.30pm.

TALKING TROTS ON SENTRACK:

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