You’d be hard-pressed to find a couple more passionate about harness racing than Michelle and Dale Eastman — and last Wednesday (May 21), they made a dream return to the track after almost five years away.

Michelle recently renewed her trainer’s licence, and the pair celebrated their comeback with a win at their Bendigo home track courtesy of enigmatic square-gaiter Zesta La Go Go.

“It was a very lowly race, but it was lovely to get the win,” Michelle said.

“It’s just good to be back at the races because it’s a great community — we’ve really missed it. So many people came up and welcomed us back.”

Michelle’s CV includes 79 wins and 100 placings from just 407 starters — an impressive 19 percent career winning strike rate.

The couple is best known for success with trotters, having bred and prepared several top-class performers including Aleppo Midas — 50 starts: 16 wins, 12 placings, $142,000; Aleppo Sunrise — 82 starts: 16 wins, 30 placings, $204,000; and Midaswell — 10 starts: 5 wins, 2 placings, $22,000

All three were bred from their talented broodmare Insulated and are hard to split on ability. Fittingly, the Eastmans’ last winner before their break was also a daughter of Insulated — Aleppo Murphy, who scored at Bendigo on April 3, 2020.

While trotters are their mainstay, the couple has also produced talented pacers, including Exhilarator — unbeaten in five starts as a two-year-old in 1994, capturing a Sires Stakes Final and the Golden Nursery at Globe Derby.

Throughout their harness racing journey, Michelle and Dale (better known as “Duck”) have prioritised quality over quantity, typically working with just one or two horses at a time.

They stepped back from the sport in late 2020 to focus on running their occupational health and safety business, which operated across Victoria.

“If you told me five years ago I’d be running horses around in $4000 races, I would have said no — that won’t be happening,” Dale laughed.

“But it’s something we both enjoy, and it keeps you connected with people in the community.  We are loving being back.”

Michelle said working the horses was something the couple enjoyed doing together.

“Duck’s been doing horses since he was 12 years old, and really that was the reason we got back into it. He loves it, we both do, and when we sold our business last year, it was the right time.”

The current Eastman stable includes a two-year-old Majestic Son colt named Istanbul (Sun Don), out of their eight-win mare Scorching Along, and, of course, Zesta La Go Go.

But Dale admits Zesta wasn’t exactly part of a grand plan — more of a practical purchase to help bring Istanbul along.

“We really got him about 10 weeks ago to keep Istanbul company,” Dale said.

“We were working Istanbul on his own, but there’s nothing like having horses you can work together, that can finish together and have a competitive workout. It means everything when you’re a little trainer. The bigger stables can make the pair-ups, but we had to go out and buy one!” he laughed.

At the time, Zesta La Go Go had just one win from 50 starts, and a reputation for inconsistency — but the Eastmans focused on the fundamentals.

“With Zesta we’ve really concentrated on making him trot, because that was the key for him. He’d had a fair few races shot to pieces in the past before he galloped — and you can’t win anything galloping,” Dale said.

“He’d been with Alex Ashwood for a couple of runs before we got him and, to be honest, the horse was flying when he came here. But he was just galloping — and that was his history.”

But on race night, it all came together. Zesta La Go Go produced a well-timed finish to score by the barest of margins — a result that Eastman credits in large part to reinswoman Taylor Youl.

“Taylor really doesn’t get enough opportunities. She is very cluey, does her form, and I think she’s underrated to be honest,” he said.

While realistic about future expectations, the Eastmans are hopeful the gelding can build on his confidence.

“I think we’ve perhaps had to lose a bit of ability just to make sure he finishes strong and trots,” Dale said.

“He’ll be up in class when he goes around at Bendigo again (tonight), but we’ll just make sure he finishes his races off, build his confidence from there — and you never know what they can achieve.”

 

Photo: VSTA