Henwood Bay at Narrogin. Photo Credit – Photography by Jodie Hallows
Errol Ashcroft knows no life other than harness racing, with a family history going back to his parents and on Saturday night the 64-year-old trained his 200th training success with Henwood Bay getting the win at Narrogin.
A special horse to the Ashcroft family, Henwood Bay has been with Errol since he was a yearling, with his connections purchasing him from the sales, and Ashcroft has seen him through every process from breaking him in, to seeing him make his racing debut back on February 13, 2018.
The double westbred son of Fully Loaded USA has since had 153 starts for 22 wins and 35 placings, with stakes now in excess of $172,000 not including the westbred bonuses he has accumulated in his two and three-year-old seasons.
In March 2020, Henwood Bay delivered Ashcroft one of his country racing highlights when the then four-year-old took top spot in the $10,000 Ray White Bridgetown Cup ahead of stablemate Euphoric Moment, giving Ashcroft a stable quinella in the feature.
Forever Remembered gave Ashcroft his biggest victory in 2016 when the then six-year-old mare took out the $25,000 The Warwick Listed Classic at Gloucester Park, a special horse being that she was by the stables star stallion Shattering Class.
Shattering Class was born on the 1st of September 1991, bred by WA stud Patrician Park and purchased for just $5000 by George Aschroft, father of Errol.
This horse went on to the heights that many can only dream of, with 189 starts spanning over a 10-year-career, which saw the Collie based stallion a winner of 62 and 39 placings.
Winning on debut, it was clear from the get-go that he had class, and this was only further confirmed with a Lord Mayors Cup victory, the Tooheys Mile in Newcastle in 1999, a Fremantle Sprint, two BOTRA Cups, three Celebrity Miles and four James Brennan Cups just to name a few, but it is and always has been a family effort at the Ashcroft stables.
Errol now not only enjoys his only training victories but gets to enjoy watching his daughter Bianca succeed in the harness industry, with Bianca having her fair share of success over the years.
Ashcroft’s other daughter Jess is also involved, with shares in multiple horses with her dad and sister, but as well as holding her stablehand licence and being the official photographer on course at Collie during their racing season.
With a capable hand with the youngsters, Ashcroft admits that his passion is with the ‘babies’ and young horses, enjoying the process of breeding, breaking and educating, before ultimately watching them make their debut as racehorses, knowing he has played a part in every aspect of their lives to get them to the racetrack.
A farrier on the side, Errol has his handful (well, large handful these days) of clients that he still services and with six horses in work as well as four ‘breakers’, he has more than enough on his plate, keeping his days filled.
It truly is a family affair at the Ashcroft property, with Errol and his wife Annette hands on with the everyday husbandry of racehorse training, as well Bianca out there with her own team.
Ashcroft is adamant that his limit is 10 horses in training at any one time, but is excited to see what the future holds, with the stable looking to have around six two-year-olds racing next year.
Errol has just Henwood Bay racing currently, and the eight-year-old is set to head to Gloucester Park this Friday night for the less than $12,000 RBD event.
Ashleigh Paikos