Jocular Bathurst harness racing trainer John Boserio has his team loaded and on the road for the annual pilgrimage to his second home -Queensland's Gold Coast.
Boserio, one of the true characters of the industry, packed up for his first extended northern campaign way back in 1983, when the Gold Coast was the country's tourism mecca and harness racing was at its zenith.
"I suppose it's become a bit of a ritual ever since. A couple of times I was keen to shift up there and settle permanently, but my family wasn't on the same page," he said.
"But we have heaps of fun and we get away from the freezing winter days that we can cop in Bathurst."
And he should feel quite "at home". He'll be part of an exodus of Bathurst trainers including Chris Frisby, and at least three others, who are planning northern campaigns for the winter. Last season the group took up about 40 horses between them-and it will be close to that again if they all make it up there.
Boserio recently trained the 150th winner of his career and has been in great form landing half a dozen winners in the past month. Also a shrewd reinsman for many years, Boserio gave driving away after an accident about eight years ago.
"I smashed up one of my legs pretty badly and I still have screws and plates keeping an ankle intact," he said.
"I haven't driven since, although every now and again I think to myself that I could get out there again!"
The milestone training win came courtesy of talented youngster Holy Camp Dillon (For A Reason-Holy Camp Girl (Trump Casino) at Bathurst earlier this month. It was the pacer's third consecutive win-and handled nicely each time by Anthony Frisby.
Boserio is aiming his rising star at the Queensland Derby during the campaign.
"I raced the dam Holy Camp Girl (Trump Casino-Paxton Joy (Panorama) for a while – in fact she was the last winner I drove before giving it away. We led all the way at Dubbo in January of 2012," Boserio said.
"One of the breeders, Clive Anderson lives in Holy Camp Road at Grenfell, so all his horses are named using the Holy Camp part. After my crash, I told Clive that if I ever got back to training, I wouldn't mind one of her foals.
"I was lucky enough to be offered Holy Camp Dillon. He's improving all the time and should make a very nice horse."
Accompanying Holy Camp Dillon will be four two-year-olds, spearheaded by recent winners He's Sweet and The Grogfather. The other pair in Happy Publican and Rock N Roll Times have a few problems, but Boserio hinted they also have ability.
"I've been training for 40 years, but I've taken some time off now and again," Boserio said.
"I went off bus driving for a bit and when I was having a spell in the early 2000s I went to the Bathurst sales. A horse by Trump Casino, bred by Wayne Lamb, caught my eye and I ended up with it for $4000," he said.
"He really looked an outstanding type. The horse later raced as Four Trumps and won 25 races (13 at Harold Park) for $270,000. We sold him to the US and he ended up winning $700,000 over there."
For many years, Boserio, and several of his NSW Central West contemporaries made their winter base at the Border Park Paceway, the picturesque home of harness and greyhound racing at Tweed Heads. But when that closed, they were forced to find alternative stabling for the visiting teams.
(Border Park was acquired in mid-2016 for $16.5M and cleared 15 months later to make way for a northern NSW economic hub, planned for development over the next eight years)
"We wanted to stay down that end of the Gold Coast. After talks with the Tweed Heads Pony Club about two or three years ago, we were able to use their complex, which is great. There's a small track, a few stables, but we all mostly put the horses out in paddocks," Boserio said.
It wouldn't be a Northern crusade for Boserio without his longtime friend and harness racing fanatic, Ronnie Jones, who's been there since the beginning.
"I was drinking at a pub one night with Ronnie's brother Pat and just happened to say I was taking a team to Queensland," he said.
"Pat suggested I should take Ronnie-that was back in 1983! Ronnie's been coming up with me ever since and we're now the best of mates.
"Ronnie is a hard worker and pretty much just leaves me to take care of the fast work. He does the feeds, cleans up the manure, trains them on jog days-so I really get it very easy," he laughed.
They intend to stay for at least two-and-a-half months in Queensland.
"Our accommodation is paid up until the first week of September and then the plan is to get home for the Breeders Crown series," Boserio said.
So any harness racing fans living or passing through the Coolangatta area and needing "a dose" of trots talk, the Kirra Hotel could be just the place over coming weeks!
Terry Gange
NewsAlert PR Mildura
P 0498 490 672
W www.newsalertpr.com.au