by Duane Ranger
When Billy At Salsa and Princess Mackendon won at Alexandra Park last Friday, they notched up a personal milestone for the Franklin training husband-and-wife team of Bernie Hackett and Michelle Wallis.
The two trotters won the 99th and 100th career races for the Waiuku-based duo. They have had 1,217 starters to the races, since 2012 and have also placed 236 times and nailed $1.19 million in stakes.
Wallis trained another 323 victories ($3m) in her own name from 1998 to 2012, while Hackett also trained 123 more ($961,426) between 1988 and 2012.
“We have always been a training couple since we got married in 1997. It’s just a lot of the horses have been in my name.”
“It’s a bit of an honour to bring up the 100. It just goes to show that couples can work happily together… so long as the wife is the boss,” joked Wallis.
“We love it. It is a real family affair because our girls (Tyla and Crystal) are also a big help in the stable,” she added.
Pukekohe horseman Steve Cornwall swears by the Wallis-Hackett barn.
“Steffi and I send my horses to Bernie and Michelle because I know they will be given the best possible chance to reach their peak ability.
“They give so much attention to detail. They are not only two of the best trainers going around but their stats will tell you they are right up their with the greatest of our sport when it comes to the squaregaiter,” Cornwall said.
Collectively the couple’s 546 wins makes them New Zealand’s most successful trainers of trotters, ahead of Phil Williamson’s 514 career wins ($5.3m) and Paul Nairn’s 318 ($4.5m).
Wallis said she just wants to keep training winners, and hopefully nail her first Group One win with her husband.
Back in 2006 she became the first female to train an Inter-Dominion Trotters’ Grand Final winner when Tony Herlihy (MNZM) drove giant squaregaiter, Delft to victory at Moonee Valley in 2006.
In the five seasons that they have ‘officially’ trained together as Wallis-Hackett their biggest win came in March 3 this year, when Princess Mackendon won the Group Three Northern Breeders Stakes.
Last season Wallis and Hackett trained a career best of 25 wins. To-date this season they have trained 20 wins.
“We just want to keep training winners and hopefully the results and Group wins will come. Now that our girls are a lot older we will also be pushing for Monte saddle races.
Wallis and Hackett have been the major reason why four Monte Workouts at Pukekohe (and one Monte Exhibition at Alexandra Park) have already been staged in New Zealand.
Their daughter 15-year-old daughter Tyla, who has recorded three Monte wins, is a New Zealand Showjumping champion.
“The popular Pirongia races is where the idea originated from. Trainers like Jay (Abernethy) and Tim (Vince) have also been very pro at it. We just want to get the word out there and get as many people involved as possible. I’ve seen them race in Australia and I know it’s very popular in Europe. I hope it catches on,” Wallis said.
“They are a great spectacle as the exhibition race at Alexandra Park on May 26 showed. In our stable for example six of our dozen or so horses in work, could race in saddle events,” Wallis said.
The Wallis and Hackett team do a majority of their training at Karioitahi Beach – just west of Waiuku.
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