Katie Lally had never even touched a horse until 2018, and it wasn’t until May 2019 when she went for an interview at the astute stables of Justin Prentice that she had ever experienced harness racing, but her love of the game started there, and it’s unwavering.
Still aligned with the Justin Prentice stable to this day, Lally has experienced some of the highest of highs on offer in the game, with most recently ‘strapping’ Mighty Ronaldo to success in the Gr3 $50,000 Nova Winter Cup, a back-to-back feat for Lally, with Never Ending taking out the feature a year earlier for the stable.
A nomad in the industry, Lally isn’t one to shy away from an early morning or some hard work, often lending a hand at numerous stables across the state, including Ryan Bells Pacing Stable and even a change of code, with Lally invested in the Josh Krispyn stable and a winning owning at that.
The wins didn’t end there for Lally who is experiencing plenty of success in the gallop’s world as well, a part-owner of Asphalt who has gone back-to-back at his last two starts.
The four-year-old is only five starts in and boasts an impressive two wins and two seconds, amassing just shy of $65,000 in stakes, the team will be looking to go three in a row tomorrow when he starts from barrier seven in race two at Pinjarra (12.29pm).
“I became good friend with Josh Krispyn and he got me a job with Bruce Watkins for about six months as I gave myself a break from the harness stables.
“Since then, I usually strap horses at the races for Josh if I have time to, as well as feed up every now and then to give him a break.
“I got a phone call from Josh one day and he said ‘I have a horse here and you’re going in it’
“He’s a stable horse, there’s only three of us in him and we all work for/contribute to Josh’s stable.”
“He found us a very handy one, his races have been outstanding especially for his first real prep as a racehorse and doing it as a four-year-old.
“Josh puts in so much hard work and is so passionate about his horses, it’s really good to see him get rewarded with horses like Asphalt, he’s done a super job for us so far.”
Lally’s time in the thoroughbreds has seen her strap winners such as Sir Dreamalot in the listed Supremacy Stakes at Ascot, a day she will never forget.
Whilst her passion for both racing codes is quite neck and neck, the 2am starts with thoroughbreds see them lose a few points, giving harness the win, with Lally confirming she probably understands a lot more about the trots.
Whilst there are no immediate plans for Lally’s future in harness racing, she hasn’t dismissed the idea of eventually training a horse or two for herself, but for now, she’s enjoying the process at the Prentice stables.
“I can drive trackwork, I am understanding and learning more and more every day.
“Justin’s a great mentor, he’s given me a lot of confidence with my track work driving at home, as well as the ins and outs of the training side of things.
Whilst she has been associated with some very nice types in WA harness racing, Lally’s love of the pacer began with Palatino, a quirky horse that was not often liked by the other staff members, but she loved him and that opened her up to some of the most incredible connections with other horses in the stables.
“It was Alta Louise that really got me loving the sport.
“She was fast and had the most beautiful nature.
“Since then, I’ve been so lucky to work with many incredibly talented horses and that really drives my passion for harness racing.”
WA may see Lally take the plunge into driving, but for now she is content with what she’s learning ‘at home’ but one thing for sure is that her love for the horses and the racing industry is one that is here to stay.
Ashleigh Paikos
Image: Pacepix