The past month has been a heartwarming reminder how harness racing’s stars don’t just come from the marquee stables.

It’s been a joy chatting with or writing about the exciting times of Victorian hobby trio Eddie Tappe, Gary Lawlor and Joe Vassallo and the success of the stars of their small stables.

It’s infectious and you can’t help but hope the trio find their way into some major races in coming months. It looks like they will.

They’re three people who don’t seek the attention of the media, but their horses have delivered for them.

Let’s start with 70-year-old Tappe and his trotter, Im Bobby.

To most, it seems the six-year-old has “suddenly” gone to a whole new level this season.

But regular driver James Herbertson revealed it was the reward for a patient plan he and Tappe had been working on.

Essentially, it’s been a “two steps forward, one step back” approach with a trotter who has always had the talent, but not the ringcraft of maturity.

The result? After more than 90 career starts, Im Bobby has enjoyed a breakthrough season with 17 starts netting eight wins and seven placings.

It was great to see him head back to Menangle, blast to the front and win for the second time in recent weeks last Saturday night. The time was sizzling again, too.

He’s showing all the ingredients, especially that lethal high speed (and gate speed), to say he’ll be a player in races like the Great Southern Star and maybe even Brisbane Inter Dominion next year.

Wouldn’t that be great for the 70-year-old Congupna-based Tappe, who trained and drove his first winner way back in 1979.

Another 70-year-old, Gary Lawlor has declared brilliant young mare Sweet Ideal the best horse he’s trained through a long career.

And Lawlor is loving sharing the ride with his son, Darryl.

“It’s a great time to have the best horse we’ve had. I’m retired now and can really enjoy her with Darryl and the family,” he said.

Sweet Ideal, who is having a short break, has won eight of her 15 starts and will return for targets like the Vicbred series later this year and then roll into mares’ features early next year.

“She’s the best we’ve had,” Gary said. “Not only is she the real deal, but it’s so special because we’ve had the breed for 60 years, going back to my father, Joe.

“I think she’ll handle the step up and follow any speed … she can do anything, stay, sprint, and find plenty at the finish.”

With talk of Victoria ramping up feature race opportunities for mares through the summer carnival, fingers crossed Sweet Ideal shapes up as a key player.

Like Lawlor, Rockbank hobby trainer Joe Vassallo is retired (as recently as a couple of weeks ago) and it adds to his enjoyment with exciting trotting mare Lady Vici.

The slow maturing five-year-old made it six wins from just seven starts at Melton last Saturday night.

Just as Tappe and Lawlor have said, Vassallo believes Lady Vici is on her way to overtaking former brilliant juvenile I Am Pegasus, who won 10 of his first 15 starts, as the best horse he’s trained.

“This mare is potentially better,” he said. “I Am Pegasus was a bit one dimensional with his gate speed and racing up front, but this mare has more strings to her bow. She’s won in front and also from back in the field.”

At a time when things are challenging in the game, these stories are reminders the sport still has a strong passionate pulse.

Let’s cheer them on.