Loveable grey Hollys Miss Molly is certainly one standout harness racing standardbred – both on and off the racetrack.
As a determined and capable racehorse her beautiful coloring ensured her a loyal cult following over a long career – but her gentle nature and a "volunteer job" as an aged care visiting horse made "Molly" something special.
But with 37 victories and 81 placings for more than $274,000 to her name as a pacer from 330 race starts, and at 11 years old, this one in a million mare is now embarking on a new career – as a square gaiter.
"She could always trot a bit at home. We'd never put a head check on her and she would just go along very clean. Not once has she ever galloped," trainer Robbie Walters said.
"This time in, we haven't put the hopples on her and we just thought let's give her a shot at being a trotter," he said.
"But it's all well and good to work safely at home so we've trialled her at Bendigo and Cranbourne in the past week just to be sure she's okay. She had two good hit-outs and we were more than happy with her.
Watch Hollys Miss Molly trial at Bendigo here.
"When she didn't get in foal, my wife Caroline, who owns her, was the one who was keen to try her as a trotter.
"It's going to be hard as she will be on a tough mark and against the fast class mares, but if it doesn't work out, we own her, so it won't matter much."
Hollys Miss Molly (Jet Laag-Lombo Luvbird (Panorama) isn't without trotting blood in her pedigree.
"There's two half-sisters that raced as trotters and one of them in Death Defying, who was by Life Sign, won 10 races about six or seven years ago, so you never know," Walters said.
"Molly" has been an outstanding racehorse over the years, winning pacing races in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania for the Walters stable. She last raced at Cranbourne on April 19.
Caroline acknowledged "Molly" was near the end of her career, but she wanted to see how the family favorite would handle this new challenge.
"We all love her. We bought her at the Alabar Blue Ribbon sale in 2010 and our daughter Holly played a big role there," she said.
"She cried and refused to leave 'Molly's' side until we bought her! And she is certainly a horse that is out of the ordinary. She's a special and kind girl, that's for sure."
Off the track, Hollys Miss Molly is a star visitor at a number of centres that care for the sick and elderly.
Caroline is charge nurse at Kilmore District Health, and said "Molly" had made regular appearances at aged care facilities during the past five years.
"She is just so gentle, and we can tell she is happy to go there. It doesn't matter if we take her to see hospital patients or in aged low or high care, she just seems to know they are sick.
"She treads very carefully when she moves about. She gives out the kisses, but one of her favorite things is eating cake!
"She's also made 'guest' appearances for functions like Melbourne Cup events and Christmas parties. She really is amazing."
Molly makes a special Christmas appearance in her volunteer visiting role
Robbie Walters said he had previously trained square-gaiters, but most of them had proved to be "fairly slow ones".
"We're excited to see how 'Molly' goes at the races. We plan to nominate her for next Saturday night or maybe the following week," he said.
"It's funny but I've had so many people ask why we haven't trotted her before this. She has been terrific over the years and while she was earning about $40,000 each season, to be honest, we weren't keen to change a thing!"
Terry Gange
NewsAlert PR Mildura