Ruby Chatterton stable lands special victory

By Jordan Gerrans

Beaudesert’s Ruby Chatterton has been searching for her maiden victory as a trainer all season but after a long string of placings, she was yet to break through before this week.

Chatterton prepares her six gallopers alongside her partner Lachlan Mchardy.

The 30-year-old has served a long apprenticeship in the racing caper, working for trainers such as Chris Waller and Lawrie Mayfield-Smith before going out on her own accord. 

From around 50 runners prior to Gatton’s meeting on Tuesday, the Chatterton team had placed on 10 occasions as they hunted their first triumph.

While the team of Chatterton and Mchardy would have liked the victory to come sooner, it was a poignant and heartwarming result to see their talented mare Pretty Rho land the prize in the Fillies and Mares 0 - 58 Handicap over 1400 metres on Tuesday.

Mchardy’s grandfather Bill Mcauslan passed away the day before the Gatton meeting with hoop Jackson Murphy wearing a black armband aboard Pretty Rho to honour the memory of the racing enthusiast.

The late Mcauslan instigated Mchardy’s love for the industry.

Chatterton thinks they had some extra power at the Lockyer Valley Turf Club on Tuesday.

“I think he definitely helped us from above,” Chatterton said.

“The family have all been sad and they all have shares in our horses, so it was quite an emotional win for us all.

“It made it even more special to us.

“Jackson is very close to all of us now, he is like a family friend, so he was more than happy to put the black armband on for us.”

Chatterton and Mchardy have long dreamed of establishing their own stable together.

The late Mcauslan was entrenched in racing for much of his life before his sad passing.

“He is the one that got me into racing,” Mchardy said.

“We grew up around it and his best man at his wedding was Bruce McLachlan.

“We went to the Sunshine Coast races on most weekends and my parents owned a number of horses with my grandad.

“He passed the baton on to me and Ruby and I have tried to keep it going.

“For the horse to win a day after his passing, it was like it was meant to be in a way.”

Chatterton grew up around horses – competing in equestrian and showjumping – and rides much of her own trackwork at Beaudesert.

The emerging horsewoman was thrilled to see her mare get the decision on Tuesday at Gatton as jockey Murphy was forced to go wide on the track to nab John Dann’s Tsukino on the post.

“I was speechless after the race because we thought we had won races in the past before a few times,” Chatterton said.

“It had come down to a photo-finish quite a few times and we have run second.

“I wasn’t sure when the finish happened but when it was said we won, it was a big relief and overwhelming feeling of all the blood, sweat and tears you put in.

“It is nice to get that first win and hopefully we can progress as a stable and get more owners as we go on.”

Sky Racing’s Kiaarn Dickens made special mention during the broadcast of Chatterton’s commitment and effort with her small team of horses following her maiden victory.

Pretty Rho was a $15,000 buy for Chatterton’s barn after being prepared previously in New South Wales.

The up-and-coming conditioner has a soft spot for Lonhro’s, which sparked the purchase of his four-year-old daughter.

“She has had setback after setback this mare, this is the first time we have been able to get her racing consistently,” Chatterton said of Pretty Rho.

“She has been a problem child to a degree – nothing sinister – but I always thought she was the best horse in my stable.

“We were unable to get her to her next run because we kept having setback unfortunately, which always seems to happen to the best ones in your team.

“Everyone that has ever ridden her, they say she gives you an enormous feeling and she has won trials before.

“I am hoping she will keep going on with it now as she is a really classy mare. We have not seen the best of her until this race.”

Chatterton lauded the faith hoop Murphy has shown in her stable over the last year to stick by her horses despite the trainer not yet collecting a victory.

The stable has focused on purchasing tried horses over the last year as they build out their racing team.

After working as a foreman and riding trackwork for stables such as Waller and Mayfield-Smith’s, among others, Chatterton says it was a natural progression to start her own stable.

“I have soaked up as much as I can for everyone that I have worked for,” she said.

“It was the right time to take out my own license as we have just moved into a new place at Beaudesert with some stables and yards.

“It has all happened at the right time.”

Chatterton has high hopes that Mygirlgladys will be the stable’s second winner with the stayer nominated for a number of race meetings over the coming days.