Have horse will travel for Austins

By Jonny Turner 

Cracker Opie added to the rich success of his bloodlines while extending a record owners Robert and Janice Austin would rather not have.

The pacer has surged back to his best form by putting back-to-back wins together recently for the Austins and fellow owners Bev Williamson and the All Things Harness Racing Syndicate.

If their travel schedule is anything to go by, the Austins must rate in the top bracket of New Zealand, or at least southern harness racing's most dedicated owners.

The Waiuku couple regularly fly from Auckland to Invercargill to cheer on their horses, which include Cracker Opie, as well as Tabasco and Saucy Delight.

While their passion for harness racing is impressive, it is not always rewarded.

"We just love it," Robert Austin said.

"We are in our seventies now and we love our horses and I love a punt."

"I wouldn't know how many times we have been to Southland to watch the horses, it would be more than 15 times."

"We've been all over Southland, we've been to Riverton twice, as well as Gore and Wyndham and Invercargill and Winton quite a few times."

"But we have only been able to see two of them win."

"We've seen Tabasco win once and he's won eight races and we have seen Cracker Opie win once and he's won five."

Keeping up their strike rate of missing seeing their wins, the Austins didn't make it to Ashburton or Invercargill for Cracker Opie's recent victories.

All of the Austins' southern racehorses are from the family of their own mare, Saucy Operator.

The now 24-year-old, whose last foal is Cracker Opie, lives on the couple's farm at Waiuku.

Saucy Operator wasn't able to show her best on the track due to a breathing issue, but she's made a real mark as a broodmare.

That legacy reaches even further through her daughter Saucycullen, who is the dam of the dam of Tabasco and Saucy Delight, as well as the good performer Chimichurri.

After breeding and racing Saucy Operator's first foals, which include the smart pacer Jacullembra, the Austins leased the mare and Saucycullen to Woodlands Stud.

But they have still kept their interest in their successful breed.

"I was at the yearling sales when Brad bought Tabasco and I went up and introduced myself and asked if I could take a share."

"We went in Cracker Opie and Saucy Delight too and we have had a lot of fun." 

“Brad and Kerryn (Tomlinson) have done a great job getting Cracker Opie back to his best which has been great to see.”

The Austins could enjoy success this weekend with horses from the Saucy Operator line starting at both ends of the country this weekend.

Cracker Opie is being aimed at a junior drivers' event at Gore on Sunday.

Sriracha, who the Austins race with Stonewall Stud, will aim to go one better than his last start second when he starts at Cambridge on Friday night.