First time owners have a Reason To Be Happy

9 November 2026

CRAIG DUMESNY 

A wonderful story emerged from the recent win at Parkes when Reason To Be Happy scored a last-stride win in the Dwyer Contracting Pace on October 30.

The two-year-old filly was sold at the 2025 Nutrien Yearling Sale at Bathurst and was purchased by successful Browns Creek owner and member of the NSW Standardbred Owners Association, Chris Roweth.

What makes this story even more rewarding is that Roweth has introduced eight first-time owners into the sport, all of whom live within 10 kilometres of each other, into shares of this horse.

Roweth is the syndicate manager and races Reason To Be Happy with his son Campbell, Hugo Green, Dave and Larinda Donlan, Steve Crofts, Keeghan Adnerson, Adam Lowe and Alan Colman.

And while most of them were unable to make it to Parkes, Roweth and his son were there to witness a masterful drive from Mitch Turnbull to get the filly home by a bare margin.

Sent out as an odds-on favourite, her trainer Steve Turnbull and Roweth expected it would be a case of her leading and simply winning but she was beaten for speed out of the gate and ended up three back along the pegs.

In a typical “Turnbull” drive, Mitch was able to get his charge away from the inside and into the running line with 400 metres to travel but was still not into the clear.

Then on straightening for home, he moved wider on the track where the filly sprouted wings and grabbed the second elect, Our Charlie Girl right on the post to score by a head while pacemaker Vegas Ice Bar finished close up in third.

Roweth said after the race that it was a real buzz for him knowing that he has been able to see his first time owners secure their first win and how he is looking forward to them increasing their involvement in the sport.

Owners Chris and Campbell Roweth with Mitch Turnbull and A Reason To Be Happy.

 

“These are all people I know well and we hope that we can have a great ride together”, said Roweth.

“There were others that I offered a share in the filly who are now kicking themselves so hopefully we will have them on board moving forward.

“I am already looking at next year’s yearling sales to purchase a few more horses with the intention of syndicating them.

“My first horse, Windy Hill Wally was trained in Dubbo by the late Bruce McKinnon and I am now enjoying the association I have with Steve Turnbull, he is such a good trainer.

“On Monday we are heading to Menangle with Reason To Be Happy to contest a heat of the Breeders Challenge Blue Series, we have come up against the top filly Comeandsee but hope that we can qualify for the $100,000 Final at Menangle in a fortnight’s time”

While Roweth has most of his horses at Radiant Lodge, he does have a rising two-year-old named Windy Hill Jewel which is trained by leading Western Australian mentor Aiden De Campo.

“The filly in Western Australia shows promise so here’s hoping that she makes the grade,” he said.

“We have Windy Hill Tara back with Steve after we had sent her up to Queensland last year and we are setting her for next month’s Red Ochre in Dubbo.

“She has won 15 races for us and earned over $300,000 in prizemoney.”

Roweth, a central west farmer, was first hooked on harness racing when he was married and was introduced to the sport by his late father-in-law, former Orange racecaller Gloucester Ryan.

In more recent times, Roweth has bred and raced horses that primarily have “Windy Hill” in their names, inherited from the land that he grew up on.