By MICHAEL GUERIN
BRISBANE - When you win the Interdominion everybody is your friend.
Even a quiet country couple like Lorraine and Ron Nolan resembled campaigning politicians as they tried to navigate their way through a crowded Albion Park after Yulestar's stunning win in Saturday's $A500,000 Grand Final.
At every turn there was another hand thrust out in congratulations, every minute the shrill of the cellphone interrupting another conversation.
The Nolans were the toast of harness racing and everybody wanted to raise a glass.
But among the hundreds of handshakes and dozens of calls in the 24 hours after the race one stood out.
It was a request that Ron Nolan, husband of Yulestar's trainer Lorraine and a part-owner of the horse, attend an audience with the King.
The king of jumping that is, Ken Browne.
Ken and Ann Browne have been friends of the Nolans since Ron and Ken rode against each other as amateur riders. Even during the horror of last week Ann Browne made time to wish her friends well for Saturday night.
Now they have won harness racing's most glittering prize, Ron has been summonsed to see Ken in Waikato Hospital.
"Ann rang our daughter yesterday and said Ken would like Ron to come in and see him this week," said Lorraine Nolan yesterday.
"That is such a wonderful call to get because Ken and Anne are such lovely friends. To think that they are thinking of us after all they have been through this week, that is more important that any big win."
But this wasn't just a big win. This was one of those "I had better watch the replay again to make sure that really just happened" moments.
With 400m to go on Saturday night Yulestar was eighth, on the markers and hopeless. About 28 seconds later he was the Interdominion champion.
To do that he had to give surprise on-track favourite Atitagain a five length start at the top of the straight. He did it with ease.
Let's not let parochialism get in the way of the facts here. Yulestar did get the easiest run in the race thanks to a perfect drive from Tony Shaw.
The punishing pace of the leaders, which set up a world record 1:56.2 mile rate, meant they had to get tired and when they did Yulestar swooped.
On sectional times and factoring in luck in the running, Atitagain and Pocket Me both performed as creditably as the winner.
But Yulestar deserved this one. So may times, like in the last two Auckland Cups, he has been the bullock doing the hard yards only to be divebombed.
On Saturday he got his chance to be Mr Flashy and he took it.
Even more remarkable than his dramatic sprint was that Yulestar was even in the race, or Brisbane, at all.
Only two and a half months ago the Nolans feared they may miss the series as Yulestar returned from a disastrous Melbourne campaign a sick and tired horse.
At this level of pacing, with the hundreds of kilometres of trackwork needed to prepare for battle with the best, it is nearly impossible to turn a giant pacer like Yulestar around in such a short space of time.
Without rest Yulestar's body couldn't repair but without trackwork he simply wouldn't be fit enough to tango with the big boys.
A few weeks on the lush Taranaki grass worked the oracle, as did a change of training programme.
"I realised I might have been working him too hard in between his races so with some advice from Stuart Hunter, who we are staying with over here, I didn't work him as hard," said Nolan.
That helped turn Yulestar the steamroller into Yulestar the Ferrari when it mattered on Saturday night.
Nolan has two definite aims as Yulestar heads to the spelling paddock.
"I want to win the Auckland Cup and the New Zealand Free-For-All because we have run second twice in both of those.
"And who knows, maybe even the Miracle Mile could be on. I mean, I never thought he was a miler but I think he could be an even better horse next year. He is just getting the hang of this." Yulestar is now a millionaire and a certainty for Pacer of the Year.
But while his season on the track has finished he faces one more battle against New Zealand harness racing's greatest foe.
Because standing in his way of being voted Horse of the Year is Lyell Creek.
Who would you vote for? The unbeatable trotter about to take on the best in the world or the New Zealand Cup and Interdominion Pacing Final winner.
That will give Ron Nolan and Ken Browne something to talk about this week.
Racing: Hawera couple on top of pacing world
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