By MICHAEL GUERIN
BRISBANE - Lorraine Nolan stood in front of 18,000 cheering Australians and cried.
The Hawera grandmother and her pacer Yulestar had just pulled off a dramatic win in the $A500,000 ($615,000) Interdominion Pacing Final at Albion Park, breaking a 24-year drought for New Zealand horses on Australian tracks.
For his owner-trainer, the first woman to train an Interdominion Pacing winner, it was all a bit much.
"Not bad for a little old lady," said 61-year-old Mrs Nolan, as the tears welled.
"I am humbled to think my name is now up there with the legends of the sport, all the great trainers who have won this race."
From sitting well back and unable to get a clear run, Yulestar swooped with just 400m to go like an eagle on tiring prey.
The last New Zealand horse to win the Interdominion Pacing Final on Australian soil was Stanley Rio in 1977.
Yulestar is the only horse Mrs Nolan trains, and she admits she is as happy on the bowling green as she is training the giant gelding.
Not that she had any choice. Her husband, Ron, bought Yulestar for $9000 as a yearling five years ago while Lorraine lay at home with a migraine.
"He gave me an even bigger headache when we got him and Ron was so busy training the gallopers I had to train Yuley."
Yulestar has developed into the best pacer in Australasia, winning last November's New Zealand Cup in world record time. Saturday night's win at odds of 12-1 made him a millionaire.
Mrs Nolan believes her pride and joy could be an even better horse next season as he finally fills out his enormous frame and gets a shot at becoming New Zealand's richest standardbred, surpassing legendary names such as Cardigan Bay, Chokin and Christian Cullen.
But among Lorraine Nolan's tears of joy were some of sadness as she dedicated the win to paralysed jumps horseman Ken Browne, a longtime close friend.
Racing: 'Little old lady' joins legends
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