Love of the Game for Stampalia Family
Vance Stampalia on board Funky Ole Medina. Photo Credit- Hamilton Content Creators
Tonia Stampalia’s stable is undeniably in fine form at the moment, with the Gnangara based trainer having four winners in the past three weeks. With just four racehorses in her stable, Stampalia has had 20 starts this season with her runners for five wins and five placings.
Making her debut during the 1991/1992 season, she has a total of 1559 starters for 127 wins and 289 placings, and although Stampalia started the season off quietly, she has hit her stride and her efforts are definitely being rewarded.
The Stampalia family is heavily entwined into the harness racing industry in WA, with Tonia’s father Tony previously training pacers and having had 68 winners including training Peter Patrick, and Via Valencia, a winner of 12 races and $201,424 in stake money. Via Valencia won a WA Oaks and placed third in a WA Derby. Via Valencia was bred by Tony and Tonia Stampalia and was the full sister to Via Venezia, who is the grand dam of El Paso De Marko and Funky Ole Medina.
“Dad had horses when I was a kid, so I had chores to do around them, not much homework got done,”
“My life has been devoted to looking after them. The horses always came first, I just love them, I think to my detriment sometimes.”
Tonia started her career in the cart, with the now 59-year-old driving 63 winners and to this day is the only multiple Group One winning WA reinswoman when she won the 2YO Pearl Classic with Jim Beam in 1992 and 2YO Sires Stakes with Renascentur in 1997, with Stampalia training both horses as well.
Tonia now leaves the driving up to her brother Vance, who has now steered home a total of 220 winners, including taking out the Group Two Empress Stakes on board the Debbie Padburg trained Glitzy Miss in 2008.
Ashleigh Paikos
*Special mention to Alan Parker for his data and history.