IT has been a whirlwind few weeks for local horse trainers, Matt and Louise Cooper, purchasing Bomber’s Kiss on Australia Day with the four-year-old gelding saluting in the last on Naracoorte Cup Day on Sunday.

It was the couple’s first winner as trainers, with Louise only holding her trainer’s licence since October.

The 42-year-old, who is a complete T4/T5 paraplegic following a racing accident nearly 10 years ago in Edenhope, said it was an emotional day with Bomber’s Kiss their last chance at pursuing success.

“When we saw him going around, Jess (Eaton) rode him perfectly then when he got to the start, I was just thinking “don’t stop” and he just kept going,” Louise said.

“I am honestly so happy for Matt, he is still a bit emotional because we have had horses lost and others who haven’t made it.

“We have only had him for a fortnight, but his mannerisms have changed.

“He didn’t handle my electric chair when we first bought him and in the past couple of days he has come up to me and smooches me.

“Matt and I have been good as a team, when I was a jockey we got our first winner after I came back from having our second child and now we have done it again as a trainers together.”

The Coopers have their own set up just outside of Hamilton and bought Bomber’s Kiss from Simon Zahra as their last hope in the industry.

Sunday’s win has now prompted the pair to consider their options, with the win coming sooner than expected.

“It is the most I have ever paid for a horse, but this horse was the last call and if it didn’t work, we were going to call it quits,” Louise said.

“I was confident, but there were two horses I was sketchy about’ I thought he was the main chance.

“We placed him there, because we weren’t too sure how he’d go; we were told he was quirky and we didn’t know he’d handle it.

“(The win) has sort of changed everything now that his rating has gone up, so we are going to have to enter him in a few races and see how he goes.

“He will have to race in Ballarat or carry extra weight if he wants to race around here.”

With the trainers now riding a wave of positivity, they are working through their options in how to approach the future with the gelding.

Louise said she had also not ruled out expanding the couple’s racing stables to include other horses.

“Honestly we are happy at the moment with what we have at the moment,” she said.

“We have had some offers and we are grateful for that, but we just have to wait and see.”

Horse racing is in Louise’s blood, growing up in a family who was heavily involved in the industry.

Learning to ride from an early age, it was a keen interest Louise explored.

“My dad was a trainer, we were brought up with horses and I used to ride ponies with no bridles or saddles since I was two and a half,” she said.

“I started riding track when I was 11 then when I was 15, I decided I wanted to become a jockey.

“Mum said I had to wait until I was 16, so when I turned 16 I signed up and started.

“I’d still be riding (if not for the accident); I have gone into dressage now, but I would still be riding now and still involved in racing.”

Despite her challenges, Louise works alongside Matt and the pair share the training duties both at their property and at the racecourse and was glad she remained involved in the industry.

“It makes it very hard, because I can’t put saddles on. I can lead them, but I can’t lead them in the mounting yard,” she said.

“I am not fearful of horses, they have a different attitude to people in chairs.

“He comes up to me and puts his head on my chest and now he is happy to be in my space.

“I have spoken to a lot of people with similar disabilities as me and there are some people in a similar position who can do more than I can, so we help each other work through it all.”

Despite the buzz of her first win as a trainer, the competitive juices continue to flow and Louise’s journey into dressage has motivated the local to aim high.

“I would love to go to the Olympics, we have had to set my place up and we have a dressage arena now,” she said.

“I am riding a 17.2 hand horse now, and if I can travel Australia and ride him, that is the goal.

“There is a lady who has just bought a place down here who is a coach and we are starting to have some sessions now.”

With the pair eyeing off more success in the future, Louise said the tough days were easier to overcome with plenty of support.

“You gotta pick yourself up and dust yourself off,” she said.

“I just get told to get over it by my family, then the next day is a new day and you start again.”