Trot spot: Shane Graham and Vicki Rasmussen have formed a winning combination

THE Chinese call it yin and yang, contrasting personalities fusing together to become a winning formula. It is tough to dispute the theory when you meet Shane Graham and Vicki Rasmussen.

Supplied image of Brisbane harness racing identities Vicki Rasmussen and Shane Graham.

THE Chinese call it yin and yang, contrasting personalities fusing together to become a winning formula.

In harness racing it is difficult to dispute the worth of the theory when you meet Shane Graham and Vicki Rasmussen.

Graham, Queensland’s premier driver, is outgoing and boisterous.

He likes rugby league and it takes little imagination to picture him urging the referee to get ‘‘em back onside’’ when he watches Monday Night Football.

Rasmussen, who ran second in last year’s trainer’s premiership, is as unassuming as Graham is outgoing.

They split the duties at their Logan Village property.

She went home after a couple of races at Albion Park last Saturday but it was no chore because she is one of those horsewomen who is as happy around the horses at home as she is at the races.

Vicki and her sisters Kylie and Natalie (of Blacks A Fake fame) are regarded as outstanding horsewomen. While they have different personalities, they share one trait: A perfectionist gene.

“Vicki is big on everything being done spot-on,’’ Graham said.

“Otherwise it is not worth doing. She always said if you are going to do something half-hearted, why do it?

“She does the feeds and no one else will do them because she knows exactly what they are given. She doesn’t really like the limelight.

“She is fully into it and does everything at home but at the races she is not really into talking to media. She is happy to just work around the stables. She is quite shy really.

Shane Graham drives Luksam at Albion Park.

“It works well. We are both competitive and don’t like getting beat. If I am having a bad day, she keeps things ticking over. You need someone else. Have a look at all the trainers. If they are not husband and wife it is father and son. It is hard to do it on your own. We are both keen and we want success.

“We work together. If I am working one that is not going that good Vic will take over. But she pretty much runs the show.’’

Graham, 33, has been driving for more than half his life and has landed 2000 winners since getting his licence at 16.

As a baby he sat in the gig for photos with his father Wayne, an experienced trainer-driver.

Rasmussen’s high reputation as a trainer is regularly reinforced by the results she gets from NSW horses with unspectacular results who soon become Albion Park winners.

“We can’t complain. We have worked hard and been lucky and had a good flow of class horses,’’ Graham said.

EXOTIC REWARDS

Albion Park tomorrow continues its push to be known as the home of harness racing exotics betting on UBET.

The opening race will have a guaranteed trifecta pool of $200,000 and recently there was a $5000 payout in a jackpot pool with 40 live tickets.

LOLA SHOWS OFF

When Barry Manilow sang that Lola was a showgirl, he was not talking about Lola Weidemann, but he might have been.

When Weidemman was asked to support the recent Toowoomba show trots, she promptly provided 90 per cent of the entries on the small program. “I love the shows and always will,’’ she said.

CHASING GOLD

Queensland pacers Three Of The Best and Maestro Bellini will contest the opening semi-final of the $322,000 Australian Pacing Gold series at Melton this Saturday night.

After flying south this week, Maestro Bellini will start from gate three while Three Of The Best must overcome gate 11.

TOP GUNS FIRING

Local open class ranks will be bolstered in the coming weeks following another impressive trial display from star performers Avonnova, Majestic Mach and Mach Alert.

Majestic Mach defeated Mach Alert and Avonnova in a time of 1:53.5 with closing splits of 27.9sec and 27.3sec at Albion Park on Tuesday.

JOY FOR BABE

Queensland-owned mare Joys A Babe is on trial for an upcoming Melbourne campaign after her recent form surge in Sydney.

A last-start Menangle winner in career best time (1:51.7), she is being considered for the mares’ triple crown at Melton in the coming weeks.

Originally published as Trot spot: Shane Graham and Vicki Rasmussen have formed a winning combination