Toowoomba track specialist Tisani Grey may have retired a few years ago, but he is still ever present at Clifford Park on race days.
He’s now a clerk of the course after local trainer Maddy Sears recruited the now eight-year-old gelding specifically for the role.
Tisani Grey (pictured) last raced in June 2019 when he finished seventh in a Benchmark 0-58 at Toowoomba, although he won all of his five races at Clifford Park and was placed twice there.
The best he managed away from Clifford Park was a second or third at Doomben, Eagle Farm, Sunshine Coast, and Ipswich, from 33 career starts.
The son of Trusting amassed almost $80,000 in prize money before being retired and was spending his post-race career in a paddock until Maddy found another purpose for him.
“We’ve had him for about 15 months, and he went straight from the paddock to clerk of the course,” Maddy said.
“He is an absolute gem to have as a clerk pony, he is every bit of 16.3hh so it makes it easier when a naughty racehorse is trying to boss him around.”
These days, the former Kevin Kemp-trained gelding, whose stable name is Clifford, is one of four clerks of the course horses stabled at Maddy’s property.
“That was his sole purpose when we purchased Tisani Grey, and they all live at our place,” she said.
"We have four clerks of the course horses we rotate, but the main two we use are Splash and Clifford at Toowoomba.”
Of the other clerks of the course at Maddy’s property, it’s a waste of time using commands “giddy-up”, “whoa” and “easy” if you were riding Splash.
He’s deaf.
However, he’s as placid as they come and never gets spooked which makes him a perfect clerk of the course equine, says Toowoomba trainer and Splash’s owner Maddy Sears.
“He was born deaf, but he gets treated like a normal horse,” Maddy said.
“He reacts to rider movement, and he doesn’t get spooked at anything, never has. He’s very quiet.”
Maddy acquired Splash after she “swapped him with a thoroughbred” and he is one of two clerks of the course horses they provide for every Toowoomba Turf Club meeting at Clifford Park.