Bruce Harpley was as happy as a dog with two tails when daylight savings resumed in NSW on October 3rd. For the last thirty years daylight has been a precious commodity for the personable Harpley, who has lived in the Riverina township of Junee all his life.
Bruce is approaching his thirtieth anniversary as a postman operating from the historic Junee Post office on Lorne St, constructed in 1888 and heritage-listed since 2000. Locals at many of 700 delivery points around town give him a wave each morning when they hear the familiar purr of his Honda CT-110 bike.
At the completion of his duties for Australia Post, Bruce puts on his second hat as a trainer of harness horses - a third generation trainer in fact, and one of the best in the business. In the winter months every minute of daylight counts. It’s a race against the clock as he works half a dozen horses - harnessing, unharnessing, hosing, scraping, rugging and feeding. There’s often a cut or scratch requiring attention, or a gear adjustment to be attended to before calling it a day.
Bruce and Frith win the Bathurst Gold Tiara in the Bernie Kelly colours - courtesy Club Menangle.
“Because of time constraints I’m usually limited to five or six horses, but a few years ago I suddenly found myself with sixteen on the books,” said Bruce. “A young bloke called Jordan Seary was helping me out at the time and he didn’t care how many we had. If somebody asked us to take a horse, Jordan would accept, where I would have declined. By the same token the more horses we got, the harder he worked.”
“I always dreamed of winning a trainer’s premiership but never had the necessary number of horses. Thanks to Jordan Seary I topped the Riverina trainer’s list in 2018/2019. He’s now working in the roofing business, but pops in to give me a hand from time to time.”
During Jordan’s time with the stable, “Tash” Harpley was able to slightly reduce her involvement. In the preceding years she’d been beside Bruce every step of the way - attending to the never ending stable chores and driving fast work with her husband. Predictably her duties have been regenerated since Jordan’s departure.
I was prompted to give Bruce a call after “fluking” the Sky Racing telecast of his win on Well Said Harps in a maiden pace at Young last week - as skilful a drive as you could wish to see. Bruce extricated the gelding from a “three pegs” position at the 400m, and joined in late to score an emphatic win. “He’s one of five horses I have in work currently,” said Bruce. “I decided recently to reduce my numbers and concentrate on horses we own ourselves.
Bruce and Tash with daughters Brooke and Madi, the Kellys, and John Dumesny after Lady Waratah's win in the APG Final Harold Park 2005 - courtesy Club Menangle.
“I’m also working Macarena Madi, Tashs Spartan and Metallica Man, all lightly raced horses who’ll turn three when the new standardbred birthday comes around on January 1st.
All three have shown me some ability. Our fifth team member is Rubies For Tash whose record speaks for itself. She’s had 85 starts for 24 wins and the same number of placings for well over $200,000. She came back into work recently after a spell and her attitude is unchanged. Although getting on in years she’ll still be very competitive.”
Bruce bred Rubies For Tash by sending his former good race mare Roses For Tash to champion racehorse and sire Courage Under Fire. Roses For Tash’s race record was similarly impressive to that of her daughter, with 18 wins and 32 placings. To avoid any family disharmony Bruce thought it wise to name other homebreds after daughters Madi (now 20) and Brooke (18). The former was thrilled when Dance For Madi won 12 races and $120,000. Sadly she broke down as a four year old just before the Breeder’s Challenge Final.
Brooke Harpley didn’t share her sister’s elation. Diamonds For Brooke won only once in 40 starts, while Stars For Brooke managed just two average wins in the bush. Interestingly Roses For Tash is the only horse Bruce and Tash have ever purchased at a yearling sale. “We got her for $9000 at a Bathurst Gold crown sale,” said Bruce. “She’s turned out to be an absolute gem. She and Dance For Madi are the only two mares we’re breeding with currently. Both are booked to American Ideal this season.”
It was obvious from an early age that genetics were going to play a major part in Bruce Harpley’s future. His grandfather George who was born in the closing months of the nineteenth century, became a master trainer of standardbreds. He was thrust into the spotlight in the late 60’s and early 70’s as the trainer of the champion Welcome Advice widely known as the “Junee Jet”.
Great mates! Welcome Advice, driver Allan Harpley and seated is trainer George Harpley. A photographic gem.
Despite racing in an era of outstanding horses, Welcome Advice won 49 races and registered 39 placings for $176,000 - a prize money record for a horse racing solely in the southern hemisphere. His notable wins included a Victoria Derby, Kilmore Cup, a Spring Cup and Lord Mayor’s Cup at Harold Park, a Melbourne Pacing Cup and Lady Brooks Cup. His spectacular Interdominion Grand Final win at Albion Park in 1972 earned him the coveted Australian Harness Horse Of The Year title.
Bruce’s father Allan won great acclaim as the regular driver of Welcome Advice, but enjoyed a fruitful career as a trainer in his own right. He was a frequent visitor to Harold Park in the 1970’s with Welcome Advice and other high class horses like Ardrossan and Canu Bay. Bruce’s fascination with the sport is best illustrated by his memory of a night in 1972 when he travelled to Leeton trots with his parents. On arrival Allan and Phyllis found him sound asleep in the back seat of the car, and decided not to disturb him.
Several hours later the five year old awoke suddenly when he heard the sound of horses stomping in the float. He was none too pleased to learn that the meeting was over, and his father was putting the horses back onto the float for the return journey to Junee. “I kicked up a decent stink,” said Bruce. “I played up all the way home and it took me three days to stop sulking.”
Around the same time the Junee Trotting Club became the envy of country clubs all over Australia when they somehow succeeded in staging a Free For All that could have doubled for an Interdominion Grand Final. “I’ll never forget it,” said Bruce. “I’ve been to many major country meetings since, but nothing has ever come close to the night the champions came to Junee. The crowd was ten deep all the way around the hometurn, and they completely flattened a healthy crop of cabbage thistle.
“I was almost out of control when grandfather’s horse Welcome Advice just scrambled in to beat Adios Victor and Just Too Good with Hondo Grattan fourth. The unplaced brigade included Paleface Adios and Reichman. Tony Turnbull was stunned to think Hondo Grattan couldn’t run a place in a bush FFA. That was the night I knew I was in this game forever.”
Look at the crowd! Welcome Advice wins at the old Melbourne Showground - early 1970s - a golden era in the sport.
When the time came for Bruce to enter the workforce he surprised family and friends by joining the Westpac Bank. His first posting was at nearby Coolamon where he spent nine months before a transfer to Temora. “I got home from work one night and Dad wanted to know if Temora had received the rainstorm that had passed through Junee,” recalled Bruce. “He was stunned when I told him there was no window in my part of the building, and I didn’t know if it had rained or not. That was the moment I realised I was in the wrong job. I left the Westpac Bank soon after and have spent subsequent years working in the great outdoors.”
It was 1984 when seventeen year old Bruce Harpley gained his first full time job in the harness racing industry. He was employed by long time family friend Bernie Kelly who had established the Illinois Stud close to the quaint little Riverina township of Colleambally. “I gained valuable experience in my three years with Bernie, “said Bruce. “I remember one year when we weaned 120 foals from their mothers. In the time I worked at Illinois, Bernie stood stallions like Tompkins Hanover, Baron Gerard, Hilarion and Allwood’s Trick.”
Bruce’s association with Bernie Kelly would later propel the Junee horseman to dizzy heights as a race driver at the elite level. He drove the outstanding Tompkins Hanover filly Miss Paula in 17 of her 22 wins and would later win a huge number of races on three of her sons - Albert Kelly (23 wins), Greg Kelly (17 wins) and McRae’s Mate (11 wins).
Bruce drove Greg Kelly to 17 wins including the Vicbred Super Series for 2yo C&G at Moonee Valley - courtesy Club Menangle.
“Albert Kelly remains my all time favourite horse,” says Bruce. “He was a big horse who took a while to get going, but later won an amazing 32 races. I was lucky enough to drive him in 23 of those wins. He was a magic pacer and a pleasure to drive. He ticked every box as a professional racehorse. I loved him.”
“His half brother Greg Kelly wasn’t as clean gaited and could get pretty rough at times, but had a Rolls Royce motor. He was beaten only once in 18 starts, and that was a fourth to Beach Fighter in the NSW Derby Final. I was blessed to drive him in all 17 wins and that included several Gr 1’s.”
Bruce also had a wonderful association with the brilliant Lady Waratah who won 20 races from 36 starts and $564,000 in prize money for the Kellys. “Her talent was matched only by her perfect manners,” said Bruce. “I think her greatest achievement was to win the APG and Breeder’s Crown Finals as a two year and three year old.”
Bruce won 17 races on Lady Waratah including the 2yo Breeders Crown Final of 2005. Runner up was Protokori - courtesy Club Menangle.
Second only to Albert Kelly on Bruce’s list of favourites is the remarkable mare Frith who raced 63 times for 39 wins, 14 placings and $1.2 million dollars in prize money. He drove the daughter of Four Starzz Shark in 29 of her wins and actually trained her for close to two years.
“She was the strangest of mares,” said Harpley. “I really don’t think she wanted to be there, and if she got back in the field her will to win wasn’t the same. If you had her in front or outside the leader she was an absolute tiger. She simply hated getting beaten. When Frith led she was almost impossible to get past. When outside the leader she’d pull out something extra every time. An incredible mare.”
Bruce trained and drove Frith to win the Breeders Crown 4yo Mares final at Melton 2014 - courtesy Club Menangle.
The champion mare’s penchant for doing things her own way continued in the breeding barn. Owners Bernie and Diane Kelly had many anxious moments when she failed to conceive in her first two seasons at stud. When she was good and ready, Frith finally consented to behave like a normal healthy broodmare. She has a rising two year old filly by Sweet Lou which according to Bernie Kelly is an absolute natural. Her Art Major weanling colt is already showing a bit of “attitude” while she’s currently in foal to the highly rated American import McWicked.
Bruce is mindful of the fact that the male line of the famous Riverina trotting dynasty might disappear in the years ahead. His older sister Cheryl and husband Wayne Hancock have twin daughters Kara and Keely. His brother Graham has two sons Trent and Nathan who have no aspirations to enter the harness racing industry.
Bruce was deeply saddened by the recent death of younger sister Judy Rutland who passed away after a five year struggle with multiple health issues. Judy’s passing came nine years after a freak motor accident had claimed the life of her daughter Rebecca, who was showing great promise in the sulky. Rebecca’s sister Kelly and her dad Trevor Rutland continue to pick up the pieces after a double tragedy of immense proportions.
“And so it’s up to me to continue the Harpley legacy for a few more years yet,” said Bruce. “Dad used to tell the story of grandfather’s comment after Welcome Advice won the Interdominion Grand Final in 1972. When they returned to their motel later in the night, George told his son that when he started out as a trainer in the 1920’s all he ever wanted to do was train a winner at the Junee Show. He couldn’t believe he’d just won the most famous race on the Australasian trotting calendar.”
Master horseman George Harpley breaking in a yearling 6 decades ago.
Almost half a century later George Harpley’s grandson is feeling much the same way. When young Bruce joined the vast Westpac organisation in the early 80’s he probably envisaged a future in the rock solid business of banking - perhaps even a pathway to executive level.
Four decades later the man they call “the pacing postman” has not only succeeded in preserving the century old legacy of the Harpley dynasty, but has himself achieved at the sport’s most elite level. With unwavering support from Bernie Kelly, Bruce Harpley ranks among Australia’s most prolific winning drivers of Group 1 winners - seventeen to be precise. At just 54 he’s got plenty of time to add to his enviable record.
Bruce’s resolve to train only his own horses was put to the test when he got a call from Albury owner Lance Cobban a week or two back. Lance asked if he could find room for a couple of two year olds in the near future.
Of course he can find room Lance! The man can’t help himself when it comes to an untried horse.
Albion Park trackwork during 1972 Interdominion. In foreground is Welcome Advice (Geoge Harpley), in the background is star New Zealander Manaroa (Col McLaughlan).
(Banner image - Bruce with Frith and a heck of a trophy after the Breeders Crown Mares Final 2014 - courtesy Club Menangle.)