By Jordan Gerrans
When the Taplin family decided to pack up and move their entire training and breeding operation from New Zealand to Caloundra, they had one big question about it all.
How would our horses and training methods stack up against those in South East Queensland?
The Taplin family – led by husband and wife training team Kerry and Ian – won Group 1 races as owners across the ditch before eventually taking on training themselves and being competitive at black-type level for many years.
But, they still had many questions hanging over their heads about how well their team and tactics would transfer to Australian racing.
After starting their first galloper in SEQ in August of last year, the Taplins are quietly chuffed with how well they have fared so far.
They have half a dozen winners to their name – two of which have come at metropolitan level – as well as Tapildoodledo running fourth in the Group 3 Grand Prix Stakes late last year.
There was a few nervous moments in the early stages but the Taplins have hit the ground running.
“I think we have been very fortunate with the horses that we have got that they have been competitive,” Ian said.
“When we first moved over here and we landed, we had no idea about if we were going to be competitive enough with the horses we had.
“It was a huge relief knowing now that we are.”
The Taplin clan run their stable like a family business, Kerry and Ian the leaders of the barn, with son Jack a stable foreman, while there are a couple of other family members pitching in, as well.
According to teenager Jack, the stables maiden Australian triumph at Ipswich in late August gave them plenty of confidence.
“It was real settling that first winner as we knew our horses would be there abouts,” Jack said.
“We were not sure if they were up to that class but they all have stepped up.
“They have gone as well as we would have hoped they could.”
It was fitting that the Taplin clan would end up at Caloundra after departing NZ.
One of the families earliest highlights in the game was claiming the Group 1 NZ Oaks in 2001 with a filly named Tapildo, who was prepared by Sheila Laxon.
Champion trainer Laxon also now calls the Sunshine Coast home with her barn of horses.
Ian – a dairy farmer by trade for much of his life – was hooked on racing by Tapildo’s deeds on the race track and Laxon’s influence, he says.
“That was the beginning and then we went back to buy more yearlings,” Ian said.
“We had more Group 1 success and we have been very lucky to have had the quality of horses that we have had.”
As well as their training pursuits, the Taplins have always focused a large amount of attention on their own breeding.
Many of their gallopers that they have bred race with “Tap” in their name somewhere, such as Tappy’s Lad, Tapildoodledo, Tappy’s One, among others.
The newcomers to the Sunshine State have boxes across the road from Corbould Park as well as their own farm at Kulangoor.
They have a handful of brood mares at their property with the next generation of foals coming through, many of which are set to be QTIS registered, as well.
“We have been quite lucky with the success we have had with breeding our own,” Ian said.
“In saying that, breeding can be quite tough as well.”
It has been a hard slog for the family to shift their operations to Queensland.
“It was definitely difficult organising everything from the start to come over,” stable foreman Jack said.
“We have settled in now and everything is ticking over the way it should be as we have the ball rolling.”
After holidaying to Australia on a number of occasions in recent years and particularly enjoying their time on the Sunshine Coast, the Taplins decided to dive in head first to training on a full-time basis.