LUKE TARRANT - MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME

By Graham Potter | Sunday, March 27, 2022

The Tony and Maddy Sears trained Steady Ready sizzled his way to a scintillating debut victory at Doomben on Saturday under the enthusiastic guidance of a rejuvenated and refreshed Luke Tarrant.

The two-year-old colt had won a barrier trial at Toowoomba by no less than 13.20 lengths on March 8 in preparation for his first start and he brought his already significant A-game to his first taste of actual race action, demolishing his opposition leaving the closest of his rivals a full 5.75 lengths in arrears.

The Sears camp have always believed they had a good horse in the making in Steady Ready and his performance certainly highlighted his explicit potential … but, as happy as the Sears team was at the effort their possible future star had produced, they were just as happy at the fact that Luke Tarrant had also made a statement in his first ride in town since August 4 last year.

August 4 was Tarrant’s last day of riding before he was sidelined with a hefty suspension for what essentially amounted to another implosion in a series of serious indiscretions.

Tarrant is the first to admit he has been involved in what can best be described as ‘some serious sh..t’ in his time. There are no ‘buts’ about that. Neither can there be any debate about the fact that Tarrant, unlike some cases where charges don’t seem to stick, was caught, tried and punished to the letter of the law.

That was then … now here comes the ‘but’ … but this is now! A different time. A different place.

Not that everybody is prepared to give Tarrant a free pass.

There might be those who will turn up their noses at any suggestion that Tarrant is now on the straight and narrow and, there might be some there who will not easily forgive his past … some arguably with very good reason, which is absolutely their prerogative … but that should not detract from the fact that Tarrant himself is now making a huge effort to set his life on a positive path moving forward, both professionally and personally.

He doesn’t disown his past. He just doesn’t see any value in dwelling on it … or letting anybody who does have a negative effect on what he is doing now.

Tarrant sees it, categorically, as time to move on and that is exactly what he is doing.

Just as you can get into trouble with the type of company you keep, so too can the company you chose to keep solidify your resolve to do better.

Enter Tony, Leigh and Maddy Sears … the racing stable who has helped re-fire the natural personal confidence that Tarrant carries within him, and who has quickly put Tarrant and his outstanding riding talent back in the spotlight professionally.

“I definitely wouldn’t be here today without them. I wouldn’t be getting the rides I am getting. I can’t speak more highly of them,” said Tarrant, referring to Tony, Leigh and Maddy Sears after piloting Steady Ready to that debut victory.

“That social media post I put up (*see below) is the truth,” continued Tarrant. “They have single-handedly put me back on the map … particularly today.

“I only walked in there a month ago looking for someone to give me a chance and I found myself on the horse today. Tony said over a month ago that Steady Ready was the best horse he had in his stable. I gave him a gallop and I thought … geez, I think he is right. This is a very good horse. Tony is a very good trainer. He knows these things.

“The horse is a freak. He is the real deal. He is a professional. He does everything right. His temperament … he is a gentleman. He leaves the lids quick. He has got pure speed, but he doesn’t need to use it.

“When I first got on him, he was ripping and tearing a little bit and he sort of knew one gear … but now he will come back and do anything you like. If I hadn’t been challenged for the first half of the race, I probably would have steadied him for half a second and then really run away with the race but, to be able to hold that kind of pace and then still run right away from them … I call that a freakish performance.

“It’s cool to come back,” continued Tarrant. “It seems the majority of people have been happy to welcome me back to the point where I feel like I have been welcomed with open arms. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I am friends with everyone, but I have been well received for the most part and I have received so many messages of support which I really appreciate.

“And I’m really working at it. I like to think that when you do the right thing … the results come, and that keeps on proving itself to me. When I am doing the right thing … it is crazy … I guess you can call it luck, but good things just keep happening for me. Steady Ready’s win is just another example of that.

“I relocated to Toowoomba. I’m settled there. It sort of feels like home to me. I started out there. Even before I started riding work … I was mucking out stables and that for Searsy.

“Leigh Sears put me on my first ever horse. She taught me how to rise to the trot. She still laughs about it today because I was horrible at it. I love Leigh to death. She will always tell you what she thinks and keeps you in line, so I couldn’t have a better person than her … and Tony and Maddy … to be around at this time.”

When Tarrant walked into the Sears yard, they didn’t hesitate in giving him their vote of confidence and Tarrant has duly gone about his business making notable and swift inroads on two fronts …firstly, on repaying the Sears team for their faith in him and, secondly, on making up for so much of the time he lost when he was sidelined on a regular basis.

When Steady Ready crossed the line, it was Tarrant’s fourth winner from his last eight rides … three of which have been for the Sears stable. (He rode a double at Ipswich on Thursday, a winner at Toowoomba on Friday and then that major comeback win in town with Steady Ready on Saturday).

Many a talent has been lost to racing for far less than Tarrant has gone through, so there is some sort of resilience there which must be respected.
Tarrant is to be congratulated for striking a rich vein of form so early in this brand new chapter of his riding career.

It is early days though, and how Tarrant holds his form … on all fronts … will be his testing ground moving forward, but, right now, he could not have wished for a better start.

*This was Tarrant’s social media post after he had scored a double for the Sears camp at Ipswich on Thursday.

‘I just need to take a moment to show my appreciation for the Sears stable (T. Sears, Maddy Sears, Leigh Sears, Bella Rabjones) and the support that they have shown me.

‘Many would argue that I have had enough chances in the saddle, and I don’t deserve another one.

‘I walked into the Sears camp a month ago, and asked for 1 last opportunity to prove that I belong here, and I’m serious about this game!

‘The team couldn’t have saddled one up faster for me, and within a month I find myself on the back of their best horses, representing the stable on Raceday.

‘We had a good day today, but regardless of that, I can’t thank them enough for single handedly putting me back on the map, and having faith in my ability to ride!

‘Onwards and upwards!

‘See y’all at the top’

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