THE Barker family added to its harness racing legacy, as Stacey trained her first winner on Friday at Maryborough.

Stacey Barker has expanded into training, with her only horse suiting up for the first time in Maryborough, winning the Maiden to give the family plenty to celebrate.

Barker said she did not expect to celebrate a win in race 10.

“Unbelievable really, I certainly didn’t expect it,” she said.

“It took a bit to sink in, I was pretty shocked afterwards.

“It is starting to sink in a bit now.

“He had a quick trial at Ararat a week or two before, it was a bit of an unknown where he was at.

“I was pretty keen to have her (Jackie) driving him, she drove him at the trials, then drove him in the race.

“If she thought he was a bit of a chance, she didn’t tell me.”

Stacey has one horse in her training stable currently after moving to Ballarat for work, and after spending plenty of time helping other family members, it was the first time she could celebrate individual success.

“I have helped dad and pop out for a long time at home and worked for a couple of other trainers,” she said.

“I probably always wanted to train, rather than drive.

“I really like the trotters, they are a bit more of a challenge to get them trotting.

“We never really had many growing up, they were more pacers.”

After the race, Jackie had to leave and drive straight to Melton for other driving responsibilities, but the family was able to celebrate on the weekend.

“I went home to see the family on the weekend, they were all really happy for me,” Stacey said.

The four-year-old has been in training for nearly six months, with Stacey looking ahead to what is next.

“I own a couple of other horses, but not sure how much I will expand,” she said.

“(I am) not too sure (when the next race will be), it will be the next couple of weeks, we just need to find the next one that suits us.”

As for future plans, Stacey will continue to balance training and work, as she looks to continue the family legacy within the sport.

“It is sort of in the blood, if you try and get away from it, you always end up back,” she said.