He’s the evergreen marvel who made his racing debut a month before Black Caviar scored the last of her 25 consecutive wins.
And he arrived on the Australian racing scene more than a year before the superstar Winx had her first start.
Meet Hard Stride, racing’s version of Benjamin Button who will have his 125th and almost certainly last start at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
At the ripe old age of 12, Hard Stride will be forced into retirement when the new Australian racing season starts on August 1.
Rules state racehorses must retire when they are 13.
His trainer, larrikin Toowoomba horseman Jason Judge, has had Hard Stride for the last four years and for 10 of his 18 career wins.
Hard Stride with trainer Jason Judge. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography.
Hard Stride, who won his way into Saturday’s $200,000 Battle Of The Bush by winning a qualifier at Gympie in April, is a “pure athlete” and an “old freak” according to his trainer.
Just don’t mistake Hard Stride’s idea of a good day out as a trip to the local shopping mall.
“I tell you what this horse doesn’t like – shopping trolleys in the street,” Judge chuckled.
“I walk my horses to the track in Toowoomba, it takes me 10 minutes to walk up the road and people leave shopping trolleys by the side of the road.
“One morning I was leading him on one side of the road and next minute he was on the other side of the road, looking at the shopping trolley and snorting.
“He has a great nature though.
“You can unclip him at the racetrack and walk off with another horse and he just follows you.
“He likes that sort of life, he’s been in it for so long.”
Hard Stride winning one of his 124 starts along his incredible racing journey. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography.
Hard Stride made his debut in Victoria in March 2013 when finishing second at Bendigo when trained by Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra.
One of his racing highlights came the following year at Caulfield when he powered away to score the Listed Regal Roller Stakes, ridden by Craig Williams.
He found his way to Queensland in 2016 and eventually to Judge who paid $8000 for him.
It’s been money well spent with wins in places like Wondai, Gladstone, Chinchilla and Calliope and highlighted by his victory in the $50,000 Country Stampede Series Final at Doomben in 2020.
So what’s the secret to his remarkable longevity?
“These types of horses are athletes and they are competitive spirits,” Judge said.
“Hard Stride is a bit like Mike Tyson.
“Throw Mike Tyson in the ring now and if you drop him down a few classes he will come out and hold the gloves up and win the fight.
“Hard Stride is not going to lay down and say ‘here, take the race’, he will fight for it.
“He carried 66kg at Gympie one day and he won by seven lengths and smashed the track record.
Hard Stride has an amazing story of longevity in racing. Picture: 3 Way Photos
“You could get in your caravan and go somewhere with him and pick up a few dollars (prize money) and carry on.
“During the Covid pandemic we raced him in Moree (in northern NSW).
“I left Toowoomba at 5am and because of the border restrictions I could only go to Goondiwindi, a girl from Boggabilla came and picked him up and then my niece came from Moree to get him.
“Leah Kilner rode him that day in Moree and he won.”
Judge is a character of Queensland racing who says when he was younger he “used to kick around playing in music bands” and all he once wanted to do was “to drive trucks for a living.”
That was until Judge caught the horse racing bug, which was inherited from his father and grandfather who both trained horses and also from his jockey sister.
Hard Stride in Toowoomba this week preparing for his final race start at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Picture: Jason Judge
Judge feels Hard Stride can give Saturday’s 1200m Eagle Farm race a mighty shake and go out on the ultimate high.
He will ensure Hard Stride is well looked after in retirement.
“He’s a nice horse and I realise they don’t come along for trainers like me every day,” Judge said.
“I’d say this will be his last start on Saturday and I’m sure he can make an impact.
“He is actually going really well, his trial the other day at Deagon was pretty smart.
“He is down to 55 (kg), barrier five and he has got plenty of gate speed.
“We will make a race of it.
“After he finishes racing, I will certainly keep him in my stable until winter is finished and I will make sure he has a good home for the rest of his life.”
Jockey Andrew Mallyon, who partnered Hard Stride when the sprinter raced in Victoria for the last time in 2016, will reunite with the veteran galloper at Eagle Farm.
Hard Stride has earned over $800,000 in prize money during his career and can pocket another $116,000 for connections if he wins on Saturday.