Client Spotlight – Trevor Casey

Harness racing breeder and owner, Trevor Casey, has been involved with some of the most talented horses to ever grace our tracks.

From the mighty Lazarus, a dual New Zealand Cup winner and earner of over $4 million, to Sky Major, the only horse to ever win three Harness Jewels, and the stoic Stent, who won over one million dollars in his career and in doing so won over the hearts of many trotting fans.

But that involvement hasn’t come from luck, it’s come from many years or dedication to the sport and perseverance.

Lazarus

Trevor Casey’s love of harness racing is a unique one.

Unlike many stories in harness racing where family is somehow connected with the sport, Trevor became drawn to the harness racing industry via his community.

In the 1970s he was living in Kumeu when he became involved in harness racing ownership.

“I had no family involvement, but in Kumeu at the time there was a large trotting community in the area,” Trevor explained.

“I got to know a lot of the locals, and I really loved the horses so I just kind of gravitated towards it.”

Trevor bought into a few racehorses at that time, but he started his breeding journey soon after.

“I bought Hilda Jane off Fred Wigg. He had a nice horse called Sprinkler at the time, and she was related to him.”

“I bred a few from her, but I didn’t get any superstars. Shick’s Trick won four.”

It would be the start of an epic breeding journey for Trevor which has now spanned over five decades.

Harness Racing New Zealand to date has Trevor’s breeding tally at 209 foals, and it’s a figure that took him by surprise.

“Gee, 209? That’s a lot isn’t it, I couldn’t name them all,” he laughed.

As an owner, in New Zealand horses that Trevor has owned, either in full or in partnership, have won 511 races.

And then of course he’s had numerous feature wins in Australia.

When asked about some of his most memorable horses, one springs to the front of mind immediately.

“Lazarus. He’s the best horse I’ve ever had.”

“And of course I’ve had Stent, Escapee, Sky Major…I’ve had some super horses. It’s hard to find ones like that again.”

Sky Major

Trevor has had great success in breeding trotters, and has the rare feat of producing the only dam/daughter combination to win a Harness Jewels in Pocaro, who left Missandei.

Currently Trevor has horses racing from their brilliant trotting mares, Wanna Play and Arya, and the pedigrees of their racehorses would make any racing and breeding fan envious.

While he continues to breed from pacing mare, Spirit Of Art, who herself was and incredibly game racehorse, winning six on the track.

She has left Dracarys (17 wins, and has produced a winner in Spirit Of Spitfire) and Spirit Of St Louis (30 wins in New Zealand and Australia, including Group One Ballarat Cup, now racing in the USA).

But despite being involved in pacers and trotters, when asked his preference on gait Trevor only had one answer.

“I don’t mind, just as long as it’s a fast one,” he laughed. “No, I don’t really have a preference, I enjoy both trotters and pacers.”

“Watching trotters can be pretty gut wrenching when they do things wrong, but then sometimes you get one like Stent, and that’s pretty special.”

On the breeding front the game has come leaps and bounds when it comes to the trotting gait.

“It’s incredible the stallions and bloodlines we have access to now, we can breed to great stallions worldwide.”

“So I breed to the best, and hope for the best.”

“The trotting side of our breeding industry is definitely increasing, the number of trotting mares bred has held up compared to the pacing side.”

“You seem to get more longevity out of trotters too, they seem to race longer usually than the pacers.”

Reward for his dedication to the breeding game and the harness racing industry came in 2020, when Trevor was named Harness Racing Breeder of the Year.

His partner Kate Marriott shares the passion for breeding and racing standardbreds, and  has also been a key component in their racing and breeding journey together.

“I can’t see me getting to breeding 309,” Trevor laughed. “But I’m sure if Kate had her way I would.”

“Sometimes I have to try and restrict her on what we are breeding, I say Kate, we don’t need that many!” Trevor laughed.

But the passion for breeding and their foals is undeniable, as Kate lights up speaking about her latest foal, who arrived home after being foaled at Wai Eyre Farm recently.

“I just love being able to look out the window when the mares and foals are home from the stud and watching them,” Kate said.

“That’s what it’s all about.”

“You get to know them more personally, and we really love our broodmares because most of them we were able to race.”

“We just love them, it’s such a special thing to breed a horse,” Kate enthused.

Trevor has had a long working relationship with Wai Eyre Farm, and it goes back to his early days in the sport.

“I first started to work with Wai Eyre Farm back in the early 1980s when I had my horse transport business. And through my time as a breeder I’ve always found that whoever was in charge has been great at looking after my mares and at keeping us informed about what they and their foals need.”

He also stood Sky Major at Wai Eyre Farm, and his former superstar Lazarus now calls the farm home.

“I always enjoy looking up the breeding of horses racing, following those that are by Major or Laz and following how they are doing.”

“You’re still connected to them in that way.”

Trevor’s connection to the Lone Star Restaurant brand has seen his Lone Star black racing colours prominent over the years.

But how hard has it been to juggle his business world with the racing world he loves so much?

“Oh, they intertwine well,” Trevor explained.

“I have a lot of trotting people that come into the restaurants, and I sponsor quite a bit in the racing world – especially with the Lone Star at Alexandra Park with the restaurant at the track.”

Trevor continues to breed, but has scaled back his broodmare band and numbers.

“I’m only breeding ones I want to race now, I’m not putting them through the sales anymore.”

And despite all of the great races he’s won so far, there’s still one he’d love to win.

“A Dominion would be amazing. I’ve just got to get another horse good enough.”

And who knows, that horse might just be out of Trevor and Kate’s window at home right now.