New home, same results for Hardy

By Jordan Gerrans

Different location - same result for Queensland horseman Steven Hardy.

Hardy, when he was based at Warwick, qualified two runners for the feature Battle of the Bush Final earlier this year, with stable star Este Dia finishing third in the showpiece event.

In the months since the BOTB decider, Hardy’s stable has swelled with numbers in work.

At the start of the year, he was only working with five gallopers, but following a strong run of results, he now has 14 in training.

So much so, he has relocated up the road from Warwick to Toowoomba to be able to house his growing team.

The results haven’t changed either, with the experienced horseman recently booking a ticket to the upcoming Country Stampede Final via the Stanthorpe heat.

“I think with any move there's a transition period because I think we had our work down pat at Warwick,” the trainer said.

“Just changing tracks, hills, distance tracks, just managing the day-to-day work whether you're doing enough or not enough, it is just a transition period to where you find it all out.

“But, we went to the trials the other day and every horse trialled really well.

“So, we think we're there, or close to there, but it is just a transition period of different tracks and different ways you work them.

“I think so, I think they've settled in. I thought they all trialled probably as good as they've trialled before and going as well as ever.

“So, I think they are settling in and they seem happy, everything seems positive at the moment.”

While Hardy qualified two runners for the BOTB Final earlier this year, Este Dia was the only one from his team to contest the event, as Milton Road missed the race due to injury.

Milton Road should get another shot at the big smoke after winning the Country Stampede heat at Stanthorpe earlier this month in fine style.

Emerging apprentice Isabel Jessop was in the saddle at Stanthorpe as Milton Road remained unbeaten for Hardy from three efforts. 

“Este Dia and Milton Road, we're going to target the Stampede at the end of the year,” he said.

“It is another great incentive by Racing Queensland, I think it is for our smaller trainers.

“So, we just set them goals, short-term goals at the moment and just go from there.”

Warwick Turf Club president Eric Standing acknowledged Hardy’s move to Toowoomba.

“I've known the Hardy family for quite a few years, but Steven, not until I came here and his horses,” Standing said.

“When I came here and I used to go over and talk to the trainers, it's probably like I've been here five years.

“That's as long as I've known Steven. I hope it is; I hope it's good for him. I hope it works out for him.”

Hardy has been training for around 15 years and has really come into his own in recent times.

He tallied 13 winners last season at a strike-rate of 25%.

Those statistics are by far the best figures he has recorded since he took out his own training ticket.

The 45-year-old horseman believes picking up higher-quality stock for his stable has led to the spike in results.

“Probably the quality of the horses, we just seem to get a little bit better horses at the moment,” he said.

“They seem to be happy and going well. We just had the right horses and the right tracks. I think it was the timing thing more than anything else.

“You do get quite better horses from that. You're always learning and improving and I think you'll never stop doing that.

“But, I do think it was just sheer case of getting better horses.”

Landing two runners in the BOTB decider earlier in 2026 was a “satisfying” moment for the trainer.

With an influx of horses into his barn, Hardy has looked north to Toowoomba to house them all.

While he loved his days at Warwick, it makes sense to be based in a bigger area with his growing stable.

“We are settling very well,” he said.

“I had horses in a couple of different spots in Warwick. I've got 14 in work, so to have them all here at one spot makes it a lot easier here at Toowoomba.

“It was a bit too much at Warwick, so we are able to get them worked here and it's good.

“It was a juggle, you'd spend a lot of running around trying to get it all done, so it's a lot better having them all in one spot, for sure.

“You're just there with them all the time, you're not in between places, so it halves your workload.

“I know it's an old cliche and everyone says it, but we are hands-on, very hands-on. But, you never knock back a horse, because it might be your next champion or your next good one.

“So, we're always looking to expand a little bit without getting too silly big.

“It's quite manageable, because at the moment, I'm blessed in there with a few trackwork riders, so we do a couple of loads each day into the track and it's just very manageable.”

Hardy enjoyed his time at Warwick’s Allman Park and is full of praise for the club’s facilities and management.

“Warwick was great, Warwick was really good, but Toowoomba's got a few more facilities,” he said.

“We've got a swimmer on track there and up the road there's a water walker we get access to.

“Just a couple of little things that help. I had a little bit of luck there at Warwick and I thought the club was really good, the committee.

“Warwick was really good and it's a great training facility, great grass track, sand and dirt tracks there. I can't say enough about Warwick.”

The $105,000 Country Stampede Final over 1110 metres will be run at Doomben on Saturday, December 5, as part of George Moore Stakes race day.

Hardy has Handsome Triumph and Airswing nominated for the Toowoomba Turf Club meeting on Saturday.