Multiple reasons for Tim Gillespie to sparkle

By Jordan Gerrans

Tim Gillespie admits it can be challenging preparing horses for two completely different codes of racing at the same time, but the veteran horseman could be on the verge of a rare winning double inside a month. 

The 59-year-old works five racehorses at a time – one galloper, two pacers and two trotters. 

The one thoroughbred he is preparing broke through for a deserved victory in the middle of last month at Toowoomba as Twilight Sparkle broke her maiden status. 

It has been a little while since the trainer and driver has collected a victory in the harness code.

Buster Dan’s Albion Park win late last year was the last time he saluted in the bike. 

He gets his chance to nab a rare cross-code double on Friday evening when debutant trotter Smokey Bear heads to Albion Park. 

Based at Minden, Gillespie says it isn’t straightforward to get his unique team of horses worked for their upcoming assignments, but it is a rewarding feeling when they do salute.

“It is not easy,” Gillespie said with a laugh.

“They are totally different horses, the thoroughbreds and the standardbreds. Everyone says that horses are just horses – but they are not.

“Thoroughbreds are much more of a high speed and high-strung animal, compared to the standardbreds.

“Standardbreds you can do a lot longer, slower work with them but with thoroughbreds, you do the short and sharp work with them.

“I have had a bit of success with the thoroughbreds; I have won at a lot of the tracks around here.”

Before the mare’s recent triumph, Gillespie last claimed a thoroughbred race as a trainer in the 2020-21 season with Enjoy The Show, who also won at Toowoomba. 

With Twilight Sparkle, Gillespie will work the four-year-old mare at his property for the majority of the week before heading into the Ipswich track when she needs a fast gallop. 

When the daughter of Exosphere did score at Clifford Park in the middle of last month, it was a sharp improvement in form. 

Twilight Sparkle had placed on only one occasion from 16 attempts prior to the 1625 metre maiden event.

But, under the riding of Madeleine Wishart, the mare scored by more than a length. 

Gillespie also owns the mare and says a key gear change earlier this year may have sparked the impressive performance.

“She had a couple of issues that I had to get on top of,” he said.

“Recently we experimented with a crossover noseband, which seemed to do the trick on her.

“She has had three starts with it on now, she had a few good runs at Ipswich in metro company before going to Toowoomba.

“The little bit of further distance helped at Toowoomba; she went good.”

Twilight Sparkle’s victory was also a sentimental one for the Gillespie barn. 

The long-time trainer had been aided by close friend Bill Hall at his stable for the last couple of decades before he recently passed away. 

The Kiwi racing lover helped bring Twilight Sparkle to the Minden stables.

“I was actually on a cruise while the sale was on and I was just watching it online,” Gillespie recalled of purchasing Twilight Sparkle.

“I just liked the way she walked. A friend of mine, Bill, has always helped me for years and he always liked the thoroughbreds.

“It was because of him I bought the horse, so we could have one racing.

“He passed away recently and wasn’t able to see her win a race, but she was able to win not long after he passed away.”

Gillespie has always been around the harness code but started his involvement with the gallopers when he purchased shares in a mare named Sanctuary Gold back in 1998.

Sanctuary Gold had one start with Kelly Schweida in Brisbane before she was moved on. 

Gillespie took her on himself and eventually won a race with her at Rockhampton and he has dabbled in the code ever since.

He has two youngsters he bred that are being prepared for their debut assignments.

Back to the harness code and Gillespie is hopeful Smokey Bear can run a big race on Friday. 

A $10,000 purchase at the sales, Gillespie will be in the bike behind the emerging gelding at Albion Park. 

“He goes pretty good,” the horseman said.

“He has been doing his education reasonably well and he qualified pretty good, but at the end of the day, they are two-year-old trotters.

“The young trotters take a while to come along.”

In the 2YO Trotters Handicap on Friday, Graham Dwyer will start four from his team with Smokey Bear the only non-Dwyer runner.

Gillespie is just one of the few participants in the Sunshine State who prepare harness and thoroughbred horses on a regular basis alongside Jan Aitkenhead and Anthony Collins.