The pacer retired from racing in August this year and within a month was competing in the harness and off-the-track classes at the Gold Coast Show.
Themostess had 21 starts throughout her career, finishing in the minors four times.
O’Connor said she was very unlucky to miss out on a maiden win several times.
“She may have missed five times by 0.3 seconds in getting her first win,” O’Connor said.
“There were probably about six times when she missed a lead of less than half a second.
“One time she was winning, she was ahead by a mile, but it was declared a no-race because there was a fall.
“She was just destined not to win and the last time she raced she didn’t finish last, but she didn’t disgrace herself in any way.”
Themostess was born in October 2017 at O’Connor’s Currumbin Valley estate and was named after her mother The Hostess.
The arrival came months after the rider tragically lost his 19-year-old son Rowan to an asthma attack in June 2017.
The 59-year-old explained how the birth of the mare he calls ‘Trotsie’ helped him through the difficult period.
“It was a bit of a blur that time in June… I lost the will to train my racehorse Currumbinkid and sold him, and I struggled to find purpose in life,” O’Connor said.
“And then Themostess was born four months later in October, which helped me get back into my horses and race… it was a boost for me.
“Caring for a foal, breaking her in, walking her and training her all by myself helped me get through the loss of my son.
“It was one of the first ones I did and I just enjoyed racing her.”
Themostess originally came to the attention of veteran trainer Bernie Hewitt.
The pacer partnered with future Group 1 winner Manila Playboy, with Hewitt passing up the opportunity to secure Manila Playboy, instead pushing to buy O’Connor’s horse.
Because it was the first horse he had bred, the driver-trainer was not ready to give up Themostess at that time.
She started eight times under O’Connor’s tutelage before spending time under the training of Ben Battle and Rhett Markey.
After almost 600 days out of action, the pacer returned to racing in O’Connor’s stable in June this year, before the trainer made the decision to retire her.
It wouldn’t be long before the seven-year-old was back in action at the Gold Coast Show in the new arena of show riding.
“I came back from traveling and tried her again, but she was just a little long in the tooth, and I think she got used to retirement,” O’Connor said.
“She went from racing at Redcliffe on August 3 to the Gold Coast Show on the 29th – so in one calendar month she has gone from racing to showing.
‘It was also right next to the Broadwater and there were boats and people playing football and about 500 people on horseback, which she’s probably never seen before.
“She hasn’t disgraced herself, and she’s done that well, and now she’s done dressage and eventing, through to cone courses and a trail drive.
‘It was a quick adjustment for her, but I think she actually likes it. Every week we take her she just keeps getting better and better.
“She didn’t like racing at first and that’s probably why she had trouble winning. You used to take your life into your own hands by directing her during the races, but then she got used to it and didn’t mind racing, but she’s really settled into this relaxed life.”
O’Connor plans to transition Themostess to three-day events, including dressage, cross country and cone riding.
Although primarily a track racing trainer, he has previously retrained some of top rider Shane Fraser’s standard horses when they retired.
“It’s not really that difficult because they’ve got the basics down and they actually have to learn to calm down and not be so tense, they have to learn to relax,” O’Connor said.
“They have to learn not to pace themselves, which is difficult, but it happens to them… it’s a process that doesn’t involve breaking them out of the trot, but keeping them calm and relaxed and walking a lot.
“But there is a process to training them. I don’t think anyone would have to take them from the races to the show ring in a month, and it was probably asking a bit much of Themostess, but I had done a lot of groundwork in her racing life and prepared for that as well.
“I’ve done a few and the transition has been fun.”
O’Connor is also a member of the Gold Coast Horse & Carriage Club, which he says has been invaluable in providing him with a new career opportunity after racing.
“We have a few standard breeds in there, and I’m trying to expand that as a post-race route,” O’Connor said.
“They are very good at driving and cross country and doing novelties and three-day events, and there have already been a few standard breeding stock through the club and we hope to build those up.
“We’re just trying to encourage them to go somewhere after racing – there is life for horses in other disciplines that they enjoy.”
Through Andreas Smithfor Racing Queensland
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