Julie Harris' star has his day

By Jordan Gerrans

Experienced Kiwi horsewoman Julie Harris prepared and rode many winners in her home country and she was thrilled to finally be able to add an Australian winner to her extensive racing resume on Sunday afternoon.

Harris has been based in the Sunshine Coast region for the best part of the last decade as she has prepared a small team of gallopers.

She has always had a high opinion of Ralos Star who has raced in city company throughout much of his tenure as a racehorse so far.

The four-year-old broke through at his 11^th career attempt on Sunday afternoon at his home venue, the Sunshine Coast Polytrack, as he appreciated the drop back in grade sharply.

The son of Kobayashi had put in several encouraging runs at metropolitan level over the last year which was good enough form to claim a provincial Maiden Plate over 1000 metres.

“When I looked at the race, even before the scratchings, I really didn't think he would get beat,” Harris, who is a former jockey, said.

“He's a horse who has taken him a long time to grow up. He's been very immature.

“We tried the blinkers on him for the last two or three starts and they just made him too quiet. They had the absolute reverse effect on him.

“So, we took them off on Sunday and I'm jolly pleased that we worked it out between us now, because he won spectacularly.

“I thought he could win.”

Ridden by Mark Du Plessis, Ralos Star scored by almost two lengths on Sunday in one of the two completed races from the Sunshine Coast before the meeting was abandoned due to the wet conditions.

The 63-year-old Harris trained in her native New Zealand and worked for long-time Brisbane trainer Brian J Smith in the early days of her time in the industry.

She estimates she prepared around 40 winners back home in her time training and had ‘moderate success'.

Harris has been in Australia since way back in 2000 but spent a lengthy period of time away from the racing game.

She was based in Sydney for many years and worked in law enforcement before relocating to the Sunshine Coast of Queensland where she resumed her affiliation with the gallopers.

“I just needed a little break and the break ended up being longer than I thought it would,” she said with a chuckle.

“So, I've been training here now for about eight years.”

Ralos Star’s almost two length victory on Sunday in the damp conditions was technically Harris’ second win of her training tenure in Australia.

But, it was the first time she actually experienced the horse going over the winning post first.

The veteran horsewoman was credited with a victory from Gallery Master at Kilcoy in late January of last year when the gelding ran second in Benchmark 55 company over 1200 metres.

The winner of the event at Kilcoy was eventually disqualified with Harris and her son of Under The Louvre eventually elevated. 

She was beaming to win her maiden race in Australia on Sunday on her new home track. 

“It was a very special win, my first genuine win,” she said.

“It worked out perfect. It was really nice, it was lovely. My owners too, they stuck with me.

“I love the Kobayashi's and these owners bought him too me. He was a scrawny wee thing and he's just grown and grown.

“But, he's been so immature, just a big baby and quite silly.”

Before going into training across the ditch, Harris rode across the North Island of New Zealand and continued to ride trackwork long after she gave up her raceday commitments.

She only stopped riding trackwork a touch over a decade ago.

Harris went through apprentice school with trailblazing female hoop Linda Jones and rode a few winners herself before eventually retiring as a jockey.