Tamara Waller has ticked off a major milestone in her harness racing journey, claiming her first win as a trainer last week at Pinjarra with Classical Ellie.

It was just the ninth start for the mare under Waller's care, and the result was a well-earned reward for months of hard work and rehabilitation.

"I didn't sleep for a week," Waller joked

"It was great. A lot of hard work and rehab, because she did injure herself, but I finally got her there. I had some very good owners and family friends, so it was very exciting."

Waller had a good feeling about Classical Ellie heading into the race.

"I knew she would run a good race, but you never know how the others are going. She'd been going well—the run before that she hit the line really hard—so it all depended on how the race was run. But I was very happy with the horse."

Classical Ellie heads to Gloucester Park tonight in Race 6 at 7:10pm, starting from barrier 12. Waller says the mare is working well but the 800m track presents it's own set of challenges.

"She's still well. It just depends on if she handles this track—it's a lot smaller than Pinjarra. That's the big question mark tonight. But in terms of the horse, she's as good as I've ever had her."

Waller currently has two horses in her stable, including Mister Constitution NZ, who hasn't raced since late 2023 due to ongoing issues.

"I'm not sure he'll make it to the track, but I like a challenge," she said.

Her move into training earlier this year was a natural step after decades of working with horses.

"I've been around horses all my life, as an equestrian, and I've been an equine nurse for about twenty years," she said.

Waller has competed in show jumping at Grand Prix level, including a World Cup appearance, and still rides competitively.

Her passion for harness racing began through ownership, starting with a 5% share in champion pacer Im Victorious NZ, who won 22 of 34 starts and earned over $750,000 in prize money.

His wins included the Group 1 WA Derby, Golden Nugget, and Fremantle Cup. Waller later owned shares in Starlight Brigade, Convert Denario, and VC Manoeuvre.

"I used to just rehab and spell them, then I decided to do the training," she said.