The horrors of Joe Ible’s recent relocation from Canberra to Kembla Grange paled into insignificance when stable favourite Sepulchre scored the easiest of wins in Saturday’s Midway Hcp at Rosehill Gardens. After five years at Thoroughbred Park, Joe made the decision to change direction when twenty three boxes became available at Kembla - the complex previously occupied by Diane Poidevin Laine who had scaled back her team numbers. “The move coincided with the introduction of the lockdown and all the restrictions that went with it,” said Joe. “It’s only 240km from Canberra to Wollongong, but it seemed like a million. I didn’t think we’d ever get back to normality.”
The young trainer first took an interest in Sepulchre when the filly was passed in by Baramul Stud at the 2016 Gold Coast sale. “I had trained a half sister previously by the name of Lampito who could really gallop but was very highly strung,” said Joe. “She raced only five times for me and a few times for another trainer, but couldn’t cope with the stress and was retired early without a win. Sepulchre’s sire Dane Shadow had been very lightly raced but was a Gr 3 winner and a five time stakes placegetter. Best of all he was out of the great racemare Slight Chance, a six time Gr 1 winner. Sepulchre’s dam Lucrezia did nothing in only two starts for Danny O’Brien but was a daughter of Zabeel. I spoke to Gerry Harvey who opted to keep 50% in the filly and sell us the other half. Friends and stable clients quickly snapped up that half share.”
All owners and Joe himself had to exercise patience with the slow maturing filly. Now a seven year old, Sepulchre delivered a dominant performance in the Midway and may be on the brink of her career best form. The easy Rosehill win gave lie to her previous effort at Hawkesbury when she finished last of six in a fillies and mares BM64 over 1500m. She settled down last in a slowly run race, and merely held her ground in the straight to finish 4 lengths from the winner Belle Espoir. She looked for all the world like a mare needing a longer trip.
For a few worrying seconds in the early stages of Saturday’s Midway, Sepulchre looked likely to overrace but settled quickly once Rachel King dropped down to the rail. She travelled sweetly behind two leaders to the turn and was able to ease off the fence when joint leader Dragon Dream dropped off quickly on straightening for home. Sepulchre obviously relishing the soft ground, quickly rounded up pacemaker Viren and careered away to win by 2.3 lengths from favourite Rebel Rama.
Sepulchre, in the Gerry Harvey colours, makes it win number 7 in Saturday's Midway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
A Saturday metropolitan win is a timely reminder that thirty two year old Joe Ible is a young trainer going places. Born in Adelaide Joe is the son of Darrell Ible who enjoyed success as a hobby trainer before becoming a bloodstock agent. Darrell’s eye for an inexpensive yearling resulted in his identifying and purchasing Maybe Discreet, a Gr 1 Schweppes Oaks winner for Phillip Stokes. Perhaps his most notable purchase was Coniston Bluebird who was shipped across the Tasman by the late Bede Murray to win the Gr 1 NZ Derby. Nowadays Darrell concentrates on sourcing yearlings for his son.
Joe Ible learned the basics of horse management from Phillip Stokes in Adelaide before embarking on a three year course in Equine Science at the Wagga University. On attaining his degree and with his heart set on becoming a trainer, young Ible set out to learn as much as he could as quickly as he could. He spent a lot of time at Bede Murray’s Kembla stables, and later worked for several weeks as a yearling handler at New Zealand’s famous Cambridge Stud.
Returning to Sydney he gained a position on the Gai Waterhouse team. His favourite part of the job was to accompany Gai to the Randwick infield trainer’s hut from which she directed trackwork sessions six mornings a week. “During one of these sessions she stressed the importance of keeping a diary in which the trainer should note any points of interest about each horse,” recalled Joe. “I observe that practice to this day.”
Joe learned the importance of attention to detail during his time with Gai Waterhouse - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Joe believes he has developed a style of training somewhere between the techniques used by Gai and Phillip Stokes. He’s also an unabashed fan of the talents of Hong Kong based John Size who swims his horses more than most trainers. “You’ve got to find a happy medium with these horses,” says Joe. “Enough work to get them race fit without breaking them down on the training track. In most cases swimming is the perfect way to fine tune them.”
It was late in 2012 when the starstruck young horseman arrived in Moruya with two horses and truckloads of ambition. Six months later one of those horses provided Joe with a memory he’ll cherish for the rest of his days. Run Pat Run scored his only career win in a Sapphire Coast maiden with Claire Nutman in the saddle. Claire is now training in her own right as Claire Lever, wife of successful jockey Chad Lever. To Joe Ible she was the world’s best jockey on that May day in 2013.
As much as he enjoyed the idyllic surroundings at Moruya, Joe soon felt the need to relocate to a more commercial base where he might come under the notice of potential new owners. In relocating to the Thoroughbred Park complex at Canberra, he followed the lead of good friend Luke Pepper who’d made the same move not long before. Winners flowed at a steady rate - regular enough to keep Joe’s spirits high and to keep his name visible on racing websites. Winners like Lambeau, Bella Amante, Manzana, Ons Vier, Kathaire, Gretzky, and Zoffany’s Lad have all contributed to the stable’s strike rate in recent years. Zoffany’s Lad provided the trainer with a massive thrill in winning a Saturday metro race at Rosehill eighteen months ago.
Zoffany's Lad (Sam Clipperton) gives Joe a Saturday metropolitan win at Rosehill 2020 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Much has changed in Joe Ible’s life in the space of nine years. From Moruya to Canberra to Kembla in pursuit of the dream that had its origins when he stood beside Gai Waterhouse in the Randwick trainers hut. It’s obvious Joe is as passionate as he’s ever been, and totally focused on a long term career as a horse trainer. He has the support of dad Darrell who continues to look for the right horse at the right price for stable clients. His brother Jack is back on the team as a valued work rider after a stint in France.
Joe’s partner Samantha Murphy plays a key role in the running of the stable. Sam previously rendered great service as a work rider, but the distractions of motherhood now keep her on the ground for much of the time. Joe and Samantha are enjoying their new role as parents of a ten months old angel called Ella.
Joe’s “other girl” Sepulchre came out of her Rosehill assignment in great order. Having won more races for more prize money than any other horse Joe has trained to date, the sweet natured mare is a stable favourite. He’s earnestly hoping the staying elements in her pedigree will see her on the Gold Coast on January 15th for the $1 million “Subzero” previously known as the Magic Millions Trophy. The race will be run over 2400m under Quality Hcp conditions. “We’ll almost certainly have another run in Sydney to see if she can frank Saturday’s form, before we finalise plans to head north,” said Joe. “You just never know. She’s in great heart at the moment and you’d think 2400m would suit. A decent drop of rain wouldn’t go astray either.”
Joe is obviously attached to the good natured Sepulchre - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - A Midway win for Joe from his new Kembla base - one of three on the day for Rachel King - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)