Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Northam hobby trainer Jane Steer was the most excited spectator at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night when she notched her first win at harness racing’s headquarters.
Surrounded by her children, the 37-year-old Steer cheered as Trent Wheeler brought $7.80 chance Ya Bettor Followme home with a well-timed burst to beat the pacemaker Paster Tedesco by three and a half lengths.
“This is very exciting,” she said. “Ya Bettor Followme was having his first start at Gloucester Park. I bought him from Colin Brown for $5000 this year.”
Ya Bettor Followme has had three starts for Steer for a first-up win at Kellerberrin, a fifth at Northam and Tuesday night’s victory when Wheeler had the Follow The Stars three-year-old gelding in the box seat, one-out and one-back, before dashing him forward three wide 470m from home and bursting to the front 120m later.
Steer, a daughter of former Narrogin trainer Les Steer and a granddaughter of noted breeder Bill Steer, gained her licence to train three years ago, and now has prepared seven winners — four with Fortunate Adda, two with Ya Bettor Followme and one with Marcotti.
Her 16-year-old son Liam is keen to follow his family’s love of harness racing. He has worked in the stables of Brown and Dylan Egerton-Green on school holidays and on Saturday mornings.