Ideal Gal’s win brightens sad day for Swain

CHRISTCHURCH: A tough day finished on the best possible note for Invercargill trainer Aaron Swain at Forbury Park on Thursday night.

Swain’s mare, Ideal Gal, won the last race on the card for a loud and passionate group of owners, the Wyuna Wackers Syndicate.

The win gave him a temporary reprieve from the emotional turmoil of the death of his uncle, Makarewa trainer Brian Swain, earlier in the day.

‘‘That win was for my uncle,’’ Swain said.

‘‘He had an operation in October that went a bit pearshaped, but he’d seemed pretty healthy the last few weeks and months, so much so that he took his horse, Delight N Gold, back to train last week.

‘‘And then . . . he died suddenly without warning; it came as real shock to us all.’’

Brian Swain, who had been licensed since the early 1970s, recorded 61 wins and twice trained horses to win seven races in a single season — Hallmaster in 197475 and Silky Saila in 199293.

His final winner came at the Gore meeting just after Christmas with Lily Ducket.

Aaron Swain has found himself in the enviable position of having too many owners and too many horses.

Because of his job as the local rep for feed merchants NRM and McMillan Equine, he can only do a handful of horses at a time.

‘‘I’ve got three in work, which is quite a good number to fit around my day job. But I have 17 or 18 others to work through.

‘‘It was the worst time, horsewise, to start a fulltime job, but they are a great company to work for and I’m really lucky to be in the role."

The Wyuna Wacker are old mates of Swains.

‘‘They’re just a bunch of good fellas that enjoy the races. This is the first horse they’ve owned.’’

As for Ideal Gal, she is likely to join her former stablemate Errol Finn racing in the North Island.

‘‘I think she could be up for a wee trip up to Auckland over winter.

‘‘She’s a handy mare and that think can win a couple more. — NZ Harness News