Feelgood win for Warwick Roberts after three decades

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 

The Warwick Roberts' comeback story is now complete.

Last night the 65-year-old lined up his first runner in more than 30 years and it proved to be a winning return as Sheep prevailed in Race 2, the Listen Live on Sportnation.nz Trot at Addington, thanks to a top drive from Carter Dalgety.

Sheep made a flier from the tapes and then took the trail behind Regal Summit, only to peel out 300 metres from home. He then wore down the leader to win by a head.

Roberts only recently got his trainer's licence back and his return went exactly to plan as Sheep landed some big bets to win his first race at start number 19.

Roberts got the four-year-old gelding off some close friends. 

"I know Daryl McLachlan and Emma Potts who own the horse and they said if I got my licence again they'd get me a horse to train."

"I was expecting a $50,000 yearling but I ended up with him," he laughs.  

The win is Roberts' first since he trained Ceddie to win in 1992.

Roberts started training in the mid 1980s after getting his grounding in the sport through one of the all-time greats.

"I had five years with Cecil Devine - he was an incredible person."

Before that "as a kid" he used to spend time with Kevin and Bonnie Williams (of Master Mood fame).

But that doesn't tell the whole story.

The former dairy farmer has had to overcome serious health issues with much of his adult life a blank after an incident on a dairy farm at Takaka.

"About 18-20 years ago I got hit by an irrigator in the head in the middle of the night  - I was found underneath it."

"I was out for the count."

So serious was the head injury that Roberts says "for about 10 years I cannot remember anything."

"I was in and out of hospital for five-six years .... my wife Nicola brought me back to living again."  

Following the accident the family moved south from Golden Bay to Ashburton and then to Christchurch.

Gradually as his health improved Roberts started pottering around with horses again, thanks to some encouragement from his mate (and trainer) Mark Smolenski.

"I helped out with a few of his horses and then about three and a half years ago started working for Ronnie Dawe and Tom (Bamford)."

Among his success stories was Gem N Em. The Roberts family and Bamford raced the Sweet Lou mare. She had five wins in this country before being sold to Australia earlier this year.

Roberts is now based at Dawe's Rakero Racing Stables in Rangiora.

"I work there every morning and Nicola and Mark also help out."

He does some pre-training and other duties as well as looking after his own small team.

Roberts has also taken over the training of Rakero Maximus, who he part owns.

The Downbytheseaside three-year-old was a five length winner on debut in May last year and "looked good until the wheels fell off."

He has not raced since January.

"It's so far so good with him and he will back at the trials in the next two-three weeks."

Last night was "excellent" in Robert's own words - the former dairy farmer winning with a horse called Sheep with his first starter in more than three decades. You can't make this stuff up.