Father-and-son harness racing combo Guy and Mitch Chapple are in steaming hot form and a few cold celebratory beers were the perfect reward.

Mitch, who combines working as a radiator repairer and training a small team at Maitland in the Lower Hunter Valley, landed a winning double at nearby Newcastle on Friday night.

And the victories were made even sweeter with Mitch’s father Guy, an accomplished reinsman, driving the pair to success.

Brown colt Roclea Ruler (Heston Blue Chip-Irresistible Girl (Safely Kept) led all the way to take out the Medowie Lodge NSWBC 2yo colts and geldings heat, with stablemate La Cabeza Gem (Captaintreacherous-Gemmia (Western Terror) also an easy front-running winner in the Lochend Stud fillies division.

“Both the horses raced well. It was really good and we did have a few beers and dinner down at the pub the next night,” Mitch said.

“While I’m listed as the official trainer, dad and I work as a team. I’ve been licensed since December 2018 and that was my third double so everything is going along nicely.”

They train a team of five horses out of a property opposite the Maitland Showgrounds which was previously owned by Mitch’s pop Charlie Lee, who passed away six or seven years ago.

“It’s perfect because apart from the main race track, there’s a jog track nearby. We’ve got eight stables at the back of the house so we’re pretty lucky,” Mitch said.

“If we had to float them somewhere else to a track, I really don’t think we’d be in the sport. It would be too hard because I work full-time and dad has a part-time job.”

Mitch said he was always going to be part of harness racing as his family was heavily involved.

“I’ve got Uncle Dean (Chapple) who is right into it. Dad was also stable driver for Shane and Lauren Tritton (now in the USA) for three years. My interest goes back to when I was just a teenager and every school holidays I’d be down at Robbie Morris’ stables,” he said.

“If I was off for two weeks I’d be there for all that time, and during the six-week break, I’d spend four of those with Robbie. He has been so good to me.”

The old team will join forces in the two-year-old $20,000 NSW Breeders’ Challenge semi-finals at Menangle on Saturday week with Morris booked to handle both Roclea Ruler and La Cabeza Gem.

Mitch said the two youngsters were the best of their team at the moment, but were not without their challenges.

“Gem can tie-up badly at times. She was really bad two or three days before her win and we pretty much just walked her around leading up to the race. She is probably 60 to 70 percent right, but we are slowly getting on top of it,” he said.

“Roclea Ruler has a big future, but he’s been so green. I think the racing and travelling he’s done over the past month has played a part in improving him.”

La Cabeza Gem, who made the Gold Tiara final at Bathurst back in March after winning a qualifying heat, has three wins and three placings from seven starts.

Roclea Ruler hasn’t been out of the money in his six starts—having two wins and four placings.

“I’ve raced a few times at Menangle in the past. We had no joy, but hopefully we can turn that around when we’re there for the semis,” Mitch said.