“Horse training is a business fraught with disappointments interspersed by the odd pleasant surprise” is a quote attributed to a veteran NZ trotting horseman many years ago. There was a time when Luke Pepper would have agreed with that axiom, but just lately his surprises have been coming thick and fast. Bengal’s TAB Highway victory on Saturday took the Canberra trainer to 48 wins for the season, 15 ahead of his previous best in 2019/2020. Luke’s talents were further showcased when Bengal scored a gutsy win at his first race start in more than four months, and without the benefit of an official barrier trial.
The gelding was a little flatfooted at the start from the inside gate but effortlessly cruised through to settle down behind a line of three leaders. He followed Vinolass, Eagle Hawk Star and Satin Stiletto into the straight where jockey Brodie Loy was tempted by a gaping inside run. Despite Heavy 8 conditions the inside section of the track had played fairly in earlier races, prompting Loy to take the punt. He drove Bengal through on the inside of Vinolass as Shropshire Lad loomed dangerously wider out. Apart from a couple of mild “backhanders” the unflappable Loy rode Bengal hands and heels to the line to hold Shropshire Lad in a tight finish with Eagle Hawk Star in third place. Coffs Harbour trained Powder Man gave notice of a likely future TAB Highway win with a strong finishing fourth after a very slow start.
Brodie Loy rode hands and heels to land Bengal a narrow winner in the TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The backstory behind Bengal’s recent winning streak began when major part owner Connie McManus commissioned Luke Pepper to look for a tried horse she could race with friends going forward. Connie had previously been in the ownership of a handful of horses prepared by Pepper, including the trainer’s triple stakes winning mare Opal Ridge. Six months would pass before Luke identified Bengal on the late edition of last year’s Inglis Digital November Sale.
The first thing to attract his attention was a fashionable pedigree. The gelding is by influential sire Zoustar from the Fastnet Rock mare Mumbai Rock making him a full brother to dual stakes winning mare Mumbai Muse, and a half brother to four other winners. Not so encouraging was the fact that Bengal had been in the Chris Waller stable where horses want for nothing, especially training expertise. In six starts for the Waller yard, the gelding had registered just one second placing albeit in a city maiden at Warwick Farm last October. He showed little in two subsequent starts and was quickly catalogued for the upcoming online sale. After getting the go-ahead from Connie McManus, Luke fired in the winning bid of $42.5K.
Luke Pepper bided his time in finding the right horse for Bengal's managing part owner Connie McManus - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The horse was originally purchased by the husbands of five of the current owners who immediately signed the shares over to their wives. The one outside participant was Canberra real estate agent John Warren who fully backed Luke’s judgement. John was welcomed into the syndicate and quickly dubbed “the honorary girl”. His joint owners are Connie and her good friends Judy Tripodi, Christine Blyth, Kathy Stephens, and Julie Murphy. The story took a dramatic and very sad twist when Kathy’s husband Warren succumbed to a heart attack a week before Bengal was scheduled to have his first start for the new syndicate.
“Only a couple of syndicate members made it to the Moruya meeting,” recalled Connie. “The rest gathered at the Royal Motor Yacht Club at Port Hacking after a very touching funeral service for Warren. I’m very privileged to be a director of the Club and it was my pleasure to arrange the wake at this very fine venue. Obviously, the Sky Racing coverage of the Moruya meeting was transmitted to the appropriate monitors, and the Club TAB did brisk business as members and guests helped themselves to double figure odds. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you they nearly lifted the roof off the place when Bengal and Nick Heywood hit the front close to home and came away to win easily. Chief barracker was Warren’s widow Kathy who had no doubt the horse had some spiritual help. A $100,000 Inglis Xtra Bonus on the race made Bengal an instant bargain buy.”
Nick Heywood had no idea about the fuss back at the Royal Motor Yacht Club as he landed Bengal an easy winner at Moruya - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Keen to test the horse at metropolitan level, Luke opted for a 3yo BM72 at Rosehill twelve days later, and from a future viewpoint Bengal’s effort was very encouraging. With Jay Ford in the saddle he beat all but the placegetters and finished under two lengths from the talented winner Polyglot. Right on the line he was going better than the second and third horses.
It was back to the country circuit on February 2nd for a 1200m Cl 2 at the Sapphire Coast. Brodie Loy was back on board and punters sent Bengal out a $2.30 favourite on the strength of his cracking Rosehill effort. He tracked two leaders to the hometurn in a fast run race before emphatically defeating the fast finishing Sun ‘N’ Sand. Who would have dreamed the runner up was just five weeks away from beating all but Treasure The Moment in the Gr 1 Australian Oaks at Randwick. Bengal’s win on the day completed a double for Luke who’d won the previous race with Helluva Soiree.
The trainer put his Inglis Digital purchase away immediately after the Sapphire Coast win and was in no hurry to get him back into work. The rising four year old showed the benefit of his long break with Saturday’s determined TAB Highway win. “To be honest I rate him the best horse in my stable currently,” said Luke. “He has a very strong pedigree and has been looked after from the outset. Some horses who know nothing other than life in a huge stable, respond to a quieter environment. I can tell you he pulled up perfectly after Saturday’s race and didn’t leave a flake in the feed bin. We’ll look at another TAB Highway over 1200m on June 21st and take it from there.”
Luke Pepper was one of a handful of trainers to move away from the Canberra training complex in 2022 when worker’s compensation costs under the ACT Government soared to unmanageable levels. Luke seized the opportunity to acquire seventeen boxes at the Scone racecourse and went on to enjoy some of his finest moments as a trainer. High on the list are his three unforgettable stakes wins with the brilliant mare Opal Ridge, who’s now safely in foal to super sire Snitzel. With little prospect of gaining extra boxes at the busy Scone training precinct, Luke made the snap decision to return to Canberra when accommodation for thirty horses became available at Thoroughbred Park. He relocated last November and hasn’t stopped winning races since.
Opal Ridge (Tyler Schiller) brilliantly wins the 2023 Darby Munro Stakes. Luke has no doubt this was her best performance - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Many have forgotten that Brodie Loy who’s been on Bengal in his last two wins, was initially apprenticed to Luke at Canberra. The twenty eight year old has battled weight issues for most of his career and actually quit the saddle early last year to launch a jockey mentoring business in Queensland. His company Elite Jockey Services gained immediate recognition and was being patronised by a number of senior riders and apprentices when Brodie suddenly changed direction. His weight had stabilised to the degree that he opted for one more stint in the NSW riding ranks. It was former master Luke Pepper who guaranteed support should the talented rider join the Canberra operation. The results are there for all to see.
While on the subject of jockeys Luke was surprised and delighted recently to have apprentice Jack Baker join his stable. The twenty one year old “late bloomer” was transferred to Luke from Tamworth trainer Sue Grills, as a ready made product. Jack is the son of former top country based jockey Garry Baker, perhaps best remembered for his amazing sequence of country Cup wins on bush champion Akwazoff. Garry was the rider in seven of the iron gelding’s thirty six wins including five on the trot at one stage. The pair combined to win Grafton, Walcha, Quirindi, and Lismore Cups while they recorded two wins and a second in the Armidale Cup. Garry and trainer Merv Corless were thrilled to win the Country Cup at Randwick with Akwazoff in 1996. Jack Baker got away to a good start for the Pepper stable with recent wins on Hell Of A Fox at Goulburn and Hot Bandit at Kembla Grange.
Hell Of A Fox (Jack Baker) finds the fast lane to notch a hat trick at Goulburn 30/05/2025 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The in- form trainer is delighted to have a handful of horses in his stable for popular syndicator Steve Vardy. One of them is the aforementioned Hell Of A Fox who recently posted a hat trick of wins at Wagga, Sapphire Coast and Goulburn. Luke intends to upgrade the filly to a 1400m TAB Highway at Rosehill Gardens on June 14th. Four year old mare Helluva Soiree has notched four wins from her last six starts for the Pepper stable carrying the Vardy Thoroughbreds colours. Apprentice Claire Ramsbotham has been on board for all four wins. Had it not been for the sky high worker’s compensation costs under the ACT Government Luke would never have left Canberra in the first place. He’s thrilled to be back and not even the onset of another ferocious Canberra winter can take the smile off his face.
(Banner image - Bengal hangs on tenaciously to beat Shropshire Lad in Saturday's TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)