The further they got into Saturday’s Iron Jack Hcp (1900m) at Rosehill Gardens, the more trainer Joe Ible’s confidence grew. He and jockey Sam Clipperton had planned to go forward from a wide gate, in the hope Zoffany’s Lad could pop into a spot one horse off the fence.
Thanks to some skilful early navigation from Clipperton, the five year old gelding did just that. By the first turn he’d slotted into fifth place outside Monsieur Sisu, and at the 800m nothing in the race was travelling any better than Zoffany’s Lad. He and Bobbie Dee swept to the lead together on straightening and engaged in a spirited duel all the way down the straight.
Zoffany’s Lad stuck to his guns to beat Bobbie Dee by a head with White Boots a closing third. Joe Ible was elated to land his second metropolitan winner, some eighteen months after the first one - albeit from very few runners. Seeblume and Hugh Bowman provided that special moment in a TAB Highway race on Golden Rose day.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Zoffany's Lad ( Sam Clipperton) scores a gutsy win in the Iron Jack Hcp.
Joseph, who prefers to be called Joe, has had a fascination with thoroughbreds from an early age. “My father Darrell was a hobby trainer and a bloodstock agent when I was growing up in Adelaide,” said the thirty year old. “He arranged for me to spend some time in the stables of his good friend Phillip Stokes and this is where my dream evolved.”
Darrell Ible quickly gained recognition as an agent with a good eye for an inexpensive yearling. He identified and purchased Maybe Discreet for Phil Stokes, who won the Gr 1 2013 Schweppes Oaks with the filly. Another of his purchases Silver Sun won at Morphettville for Stokes before being sold to Hong Kong where he earned significant prize money.
Perhaps Darrell’s most notable acquisition was Coniston Bluebird, one of three Derby winners prepared by the late Bede Murray. The respected trainer went outside the square in taking the son of Scenic to Ellerslie to win the 2009 New Zealand Derby. Darrell still holds an agent’s licence, but nowadays sources yearlings almost exclusively for his son’s stables.
Joe’s profound interest in the thoroughbred led him to a three year equine science course at Wagga’s Charles Sturt University. He completed the course and looked for more hands on experience between semesters. “I spent a lot of time at Bede Murray’s Kembla stables, and even went to New Zealand where I worked as a yearling handler for Cambridge Stud for several weeks,” said Joe.
Armed with his new degree in equine science young Joe returned to Sydney, where he landed a job on the Gai Waterhouse team. “I enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to spend time with Gai in the trainer’s hut at Randwick trackwork sessions,” he said. “She suggested I should keep a diary, noting anything of significance about each horse. I’ve still got those diaries and to this day I refer to them from time to time.”
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Joe Ible was all smiles after Saturday's Rosehill Gardens win.
Joe has modelled his training style on a technique somewhere in between that of Waterhouse and Stokes. He’s also an avid fan of Hong Kong based John Size, who swims his horses more than most trainers. “You’ve got to find the happy medium with these animals,” says Joe. “Enough work to attain the required fitness without breaking them down or injuring them on the training track.”
Joe recalls the moment when he knew his future lay in horse training. “I rang Dad after my last day with Gai, and told him I wanted to be a trainer,” he recalled. “I landed in Moruya at the end of 2012 with two horses and a headful of dreams.”
Around six months later, the moment Joe had dreamed about finally arrived. One of his team of two, a gelding called Run Pat Run won a 1200m Maiden at Moruya with the now retired Claire Nutman in the saddle. Claire went on to become Mrs. Chad Lever, while Run Pat Run never won another race. “His only win was a very special one to me,” says the trainer.
Another of Joe’s early favourites is Lambeau who only won two races, but was the horse to begin his association with Sam Clipperton. “Sam won on the mare at Goulburn, and shortly afterwards ran second on Vision and Verse at Warwick Farm,” he recalled. “He’s a very gifted jockey and a pleasure to deal with. I was so pleased to get him for Zoffany’s Lad last Saturday.”
Joe still rues the soundness issues which forced the retirement of Bella Amante last year. The daughter of Pins won three races from only eleven starts, one at Canberra and a couple at Kembla. “She could really gallop but foot and back issues put her out of business,” he said.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Joe was devastated when this mare went amiss. Bella Amante (Shaun Guymer) wins at Kembla 16/06/2018.
Ible has a soft spot for Manzana who has won five races for the stable, and may add to that tally this time in. “He was the horse to pull us out of the doldrums a couple of years ago when we were hit by a strangles outbreak,” says Joe. “Things went belly up for a while, but Manzana struck a purple patch and lifted our morale overnight.”
Ons Vier was a real surprise packet for the Ible operation. “She was purchased as a tried horse for $10,000 before winning four races and $120,000 for us,” says the trainer. “I’d love another few just like her.”
Kathaire is a mare of special significance to Joe. She’s been in his care for just six runs and has already posted a Class 2 win at Wagga. “Kathaire is the first horse I’ve had for the Grand Syndicates group who have also given me Zoffany’s Lad to train,” he says. “He came to me in great order from Grant Allard. My job was easy.”
Another tried purchase in the stable is five year old gelding Gretzky. He started life with Team Hawkes and has been with Joe for just five runs so far. “He’s got a few niggling problems but we managed to get away with a Class 1 win at Wagga and I’m hoping we can sneak a couple more,” said the trainer.
As much as Joe loved the relaxed environment at Moruya, he felt the need to relocate to a more commercial base. Four years ago he followed in the footsteps of good friend Luke Pepper who’d made the move from Moruya to the beautifully appointed Thoroughbred Park complex at Canberra.
Joe increased his team to 25 soon after arriving in Canberra, but wasn’t happy with the results. He decided to cut back to the best 16 horses he could acquire, and give them all of his time - a healthy strike rate suggests he pulled the right rein.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Sepulchre has won four races for Joe, including this one at Canberra with Brodie Loy up 27/12/2019.
The young trainer lost one of his stable stars a few weeks ago when his brother Jack took up a retainer to ride trackwork at the famous Chantilly training complex near Paris. “A wonderful adventure for Jack, but we miss him around the place,” says Joe.
Another brother Scott remains in the racing industry as course manager for the Moruya Jockey Club, while his only sister Caitlin is a practising lawyer in Melbourne. There’s little doubt Caitlin would be across her brother’s progress in the NSW training ranks.
Joe is first to admit he’d be lost without the expert help of long time partner Samantha Murphy, who acts as stable foreperson and rides a power of trackwork. “She’s been involved in most horse pursuits including rodeo,” says the trainer. “There are few horses in existence Sam couldn’t ride.”
Joe’s most ardent hope at the moment is that Zoffany’s Lad will carry his form into the $200,000 Wagga Cup, to be run on May 1st 202. “I spent part of my childhood in Wagga and completed my University course there,” he said. “I’d be absolutely thrilled to win that Cup.”
It’s always uplifting to see a freshman trainer realising his or her dreams. The hours are long, the frustrations are numerous and the rewards are few. Only those who’ve brought forth a horse’s optimum performance can truly appreciate the joy of one solitary win.
I’ve never met young Joe Ible. We had our first and only conversation by telephone early this week and my first impressions were good ones. He’s polite, he chooses his words carefully, and his humility is ever present.
He’s grateful to be doing what he loves best, he takes nothing for granted and his passion comes in truckloads.
He’ll offend the odd owner from time to time, because the best interests of his horses come first at all times. Then again, who wants an owner who would have it any other way?
(Banner image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Joe's first city winner. Seeblume (Hugh Bowman) wins the TAB Highway Rosehill 22/09/2018)