by Adam Hamilton

Canadian Mike Tanev’s growing love affair with Down Under harness racing means his alarm goes off at some weird and wonderful times through the night.

Throw in the fact he’s got two sons playing NHL hockey — Christopher (for the Dallas Stars) and Brandon (Seattle Kraken) — and Mike admits to burning the midnight oil to feed his two passions and hobbies in life.

But the 64-year-old Toronto-based car broker wouldn’t change a thing.

“I don’t drink, I don’t smoke and I don’t gamble anymore, either,” Mike said. “If I’m up late watching games or the alarm wakes me at 3:30 a.m. to watch a race at Albion Park [in Brisbane, Australia], then there’s worse things to do. I’ll just watch it and go back to sleep.

“You can call me crazy and maybe I am, but I love it.”

Mike races “about 10 horses” in North America, but is now up to “about 15, including mares and foals” across Australia and New Zealand.

“I’ve said it before, I like the horsepeople more down there, than I do here,” he said. “That might upset some people, but it’s a fact.”

Down Under, Mike has quickly become known as “that Aardie man” through the deeds of his best horses, headed by star 5-year-old mare Aardies Express, who recently beat local champion Ladies In Red in Australia’s biggest mares’ race, the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Mile at Menangle in Sydney.

So, where does the “Aardie” moniker, which Mike attaches to every horse he possibly can, actually come from.

“It’s my nickname,” he said. “It’s what everybody calls me. It goes back to when I was 18 and playing baseball. I’ve got a big nose and the guys called me ‘Aardie, the Aardvark.

“So, when I really started getting into the horses, I wanted to build a brand and Aardie it was. Any horses I buy, I change their names if I possibly can.”

Two of those making waves in Australia now are Aardies Express and Aardiebytheseaside.

Remarkably, despite Mike’s growing investment and passion for Down Under, he’s yet to visit to see any of his horses or trainers.

“That might change late next year,” he said. “My son is getting married in Manila and I’m planning to go from there to New Zealand, then across to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and even Perth before I go home.

“I’ve got to do it once in my life. I dread long flights. I’ve been in four car crashes and have all sorts of problems with my back, so the long flights are my enemy, but I’ve met so many great people down there, I have to see them, and some of my horses, in person.”

Mike admits Aardies Express’ Queen Elizabeth win was up with any for thrill and satisfaction.

“For so many reasons, the main one being what she overcame to do it,” he said. “She’s had so many injuries along the way and then she comes out and runs down a champion in Ladies In Red. It was a privilege racing Ladies In Red, let alone beating her.

“I hear she will race on to Brisbane [for the Golden Girl] and that’s great. I can’t wait for Aardies Express to race her again.”

Let’s go back to the start with Aardies Express, who was called Glenledi Express when Mike bought her online through Gavelhouse.

“She’d just been broken in and had her first session [preparation] with Mark Smolenski,” Mike said. “I gave her to Steve Dolan to train, but she ran off the track, through a fence and almost killed herself and Steve. He rang and said she was too dangerous to keep training, so I called Steve Telfer and he said he’d take her.

“She missed her 2-year-old career because she was too big, but they could see the ability there. She won eight of her first nine starts, but then fractured a cannon bone and missed all the 3-year-old stakes [feature] races. Instead of putting a screw in, we just gave her time to recover.

“She’d also had a micro fracture in a knee, which ultimately led to the decision to move her to Australia. The vet, Tim Montgomery, said she’d need a specific training plan and a water walker.”

Enter young former NZ horseman, Jack Trainor, who is based at the fantastic on-course training centre at Menangle.

“Jack wanted her,” Mike said. “I knew him because I’d bought some horses from him and he stayed at my place for a few days a couple of years back. He was convinced he had access to everything at Menangle to follow Tim’s plan and he desperately wanted the mare. She thrived in the routine, but it didn’t start well in her first qualifier [trial] when the hopples were too long and she broke stride a few times. Jack [Trainor] fixed that and then she went super time winning a trial and [came] home in :25.2.

“Then came her first race and she sat parked and went 1:48.9 at her first race for four months. I’d always hoped she was special and that showed she was. When Jack told me the [barrier] draw for the Queen Elizabeth, with Ladies In Red in 2 and us in 9, I thought we were right up against it, but she came out and won again. It was amazing.”

Mike watched on his phone in Dallas where he was watching son Chris in the NHL playoffs.

“I’ve watched it 100 times again since and I’m still amazed,” he said. “I thanked Tim [Montgomery] and Steve [Telfer]; they’ve been such a big part of getting her to here and Jack’s done his part, too.

“All going well, she’ll head to Queensland now for their big races in your winter [July at Albion Park].”

At the same time, on the other side of Australia in Perth, Mike’s other star mare Aardiebytheseaside is creating headlines with her new trainer Greg Bond.

She made it two wins from as many starts with Bond at Gloucester Park last Friday week and driver Deni Roberts said she’s so good she will be able to match it with the boys in big races going ahead.

“She was good in NZ, but kept running into Millwood Nike, who was incredible and better than us,” Mike said. “I sold a half share of the racing rights of her to Greg Bond at the end of last season because she would’ve had to race Aardies Express if she’d stayed in NZ. I knew Greg bought a lot of horses from NZ, so I just called him. I’ll take her back to breed when she’s finished racing.

“Greg’s been amazing. What a gentleman to deal with from that first call to every chat since. It’s great to see she’s started well over there and that they have a big opinion of her. She’s a big mare, although not as big as Aardies Express. I’d never even thought of racing a horse in Perth before because of that small track [Gloucester Park], but I’m glad I have with her and it’s given me the chance to meet Greg [Bond].

“Aardiebytheseaside has been a real success story. I bought her as a weanling for just $1,500. As far as her racing goes, Greg’s in charge. I’ve told him he’s the captain and to just drive the boat. Having a horse in Perth adds to how far I’ve got them spread Down Under. Across New Zealand, as well as Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and now Perth. All the more reason why I’m going to have to make that trip down your way that I’m talking about next year.”