Emotional Day for Laidlaw As He Lands First Training Winner
Kendall Laidlaw after his win with Betty Bootz Off. Photo Credit – Photography by Jodie Hallows/Paceway Photos
New Zealand Import Kendall Laidlaw trained his first official winner on Monday at Pinjarra, with his mare Betty Bootz Off resuming from a big let up to win first up. Claiming her first win at just her eighth start, the now six-year-old trotter has had a troublesome career in the past, doing plenty wrong in her races, but after having bone chips removed from her knees, Laidlaw is hoping they’re on the right track.
“She had some joint issues early on, so I gave her a good eight months off,”
“She’s come up good, but it’s still a case of how she progresses,”
“She left a bit of feed (After yesterdays run), but she’s sound and she’s happy.”
It was an emotional day for Laidlaw with his grandmother recently passing and having to watch the funeral online on Monday morning before heading to Pinjarra for the first race, but even with plenty of land and an ocean separating him from his family, he definitely felt their presence on the day.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of memorable and great wins, but this personally is the best as it was for the whole family who were all watching back home and the perfect farewell to who we call GG.”
With an involvement in harness racing going back as far as he can remember, there was never a time that Kendall Laidlaw doubted he would be involved in the sport. Making his introduction to racing in his home country of New Zealand, he drove in races a junior reinsman as well as holding the position as stable foreman for top combined thoroughbred and harness stable, Rogerson Racing Stables for trainers Peter Blanchard and Graeme Rogerson at the time.
When Im Themightyquinn NZ spent some time in New Zealand after winning the Auckland Cup in 2013, Laidlaw jumped at the opportunity to board the plane with him on his trip back to WA, and what originally planned to be a six-month stint in WA turned in to a permanent move to Australia, with Laidlaw celebrating his nine-year anniversary down under later in the year.
“My aunty (Leanne Edwards) trains pacers and trotter back home. Just working on my grandparents’ farm, I got introduced (to racing) there.”
Working for Gary Hall Snr from 2013-2016 as a stable foreman, Laidlaw made the decision that he wanted to become a farrier in 2016 and completed his apprenticeship under Chris Boag, eventually going out on his own after a few years.
“I always wanted to train, but the case was that I needed the backing to financially do it, you’ve got to have something behind you and while I was at Seniors (Gary Hall Snr), I was talking to the farriers there, Larry and Chris Boag, and Chris was happy to take me on for my apprenticeship and it went from there.”
With no plans at this stage of where he plans to head with Betty Bootz Off, Kendall will be taking each week as it comes with the mare, but does have a lot of time for her, confirming that she does have real ability.
Laidlaw made special mention to Debra and Chris Lewis for all their help and guidance, with Chris Lewis landing the winning drive on Betty Bootz Off yesterday at Pinjarra Paceway.
Ashleigh Paikos