Ex-bankrupt back on training track
A Group I-winning horse trainer who had his licence revoked when he was declared bankrupt will take his first runner to the races in five years on Friday.
Paul Harris was forming a formidable training record until everything came crashing down in 2012 when his trainer’s licence was suspended because of his bankruptcy.
He will return to the North Canterbury training ranks in partnership with Kenny Moore under their Mustang Racing Stables banner.
Losing his training business and a licence for the only trade he knew took a huge toll on Harris mentally and on his family.
‘‘You end up in a very dark place,’’ Harris said. ‘‘It almost killed me.’’
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR), which eventually cancelled Harris’ licence in February 2013 because he no longer meet licensing requirements, have issued the Harris and Moore partnership with a Class B Licence (Permit to Train).
James Dunne, the general manager of legal and corporate for NZTR, said Harris’ licence had been approved with input from the Racing Integrity Unit (RIU) but with special conditions that were not normal for a Class B.
Dunne would not disclose those conditions but confirmed being in a partnership with Moore was one of them.
The conditions are not permanent but can only be relaxed by NZTR.
Moore is a new name to thoroughbred training but has trained eight standardbred winners and the successful businessman has been an owner and sponsor.
Sunset Girl, formerly trained by Centaine Spittles, will start the Harris-Moore partnership off in a 1400m maiden at Oamaru on Friday.
It will be her first run in seven months and the distance is short of her best so Harris is not expecting a win but is excited just to be there.
‘‘It’s massive for me. Horses have been a life long passion, I love the racing game,’’ Harris said.
He understands that not everybody will be as enthusiastic as he is about his return.
‘‘Obviously I’ve had my challenges and I don’t hide that but this is a new beginning and I’m really excited about it.
‘‘I’m just trying to look forward and focus on the positives in the future.’’
Harris trained Hustler to win the 2000 Guineas in 2002 and then went on to win the New Zealand Cup with Mike later in the week.
The glory days of his Cup week double are regularly in Harris’ thoughts and he dreams of achieving those lofty heights again.
‘‘I do think about that week a lot and to be honest it is what motivated me to get back training. It’s goals like that keep you going,’’ Harris said.
Harris accepts full responsibility for what unfolded five years ago but does feel there are misconceptions around the bankruptcy and said rumours that he owed money to racing clubs were untrue.
He said he has learned valuable life lessons after getting too big, too quick and owning too many horses himself.
‘‘Some of it was through my own stupidity, naivety and trying too hard,’’ he said.
He claimed his downfall largely came from a default penalty with a trucking firm.
Harris handed the truck back but said he was then given an invoice for breaking a finance contract which was worth tens of thousands and he could not pay it.
Once the liquidation process started, Harris no longer had the power to continue paying off bills. Harris said he fronted every one of his one creditors who was willing to speak to him and he was proud that he was still dealing with some of them today.
Stable clients from his previous training days are also back on board. Harris has no intention of owning horses in the near future.
He said there was a time when he had 78 horses in work and had shares in around 40 of them.
‘‘Part of what Kenny and I are aiming for with Mustang (Racing Stables) is to bring new owners into racing and show them how fun that can be.’’
Harris and Moore hope to have four runners at the Rangiora trials on August 29 and have a couple of runners at the Ashburton meeting on September 1.
According to NZTR records, Harris has trained 85 winners in partnership with his late father Ray and 425 individual winners.
Harris said teaming up with the business acumen of Moore would enable him to focus solely on training but he reiterated it was a partnership in every sense.
‘‘Kenny is a very good horseman, he’s been around horses all his life.’’
The pair have been friends for more than two decades.
They have six horses ready to race, the maximum number allowed on a Class B licence, but have others in pre-training, breaking and spelling. Harris has no interest in getting back to the huge numbers he once trained.
He has spent the last 12-months breaking in and pre-training horses in North Canterbury after stints in Australia working for high-profile Victorian trainer Peter Moody and Darryl Hansen, who won the Magic Millions with Le Chef.