Hobby trainer Jeff Caught has no intention of throwing in his fulltime job as a draftsman despite the deeds of his highly-promising three-year-old Falino.
Caught, 43, moved from north Queensland to Brisbane eight years ago and is kept busy combining training duties with his work for Aecom Engineering at Milton in Brisbane.
Caught, who saddles up Falino in Saturday’s Group Two QTC Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm, rises at 2.30am on weekdays most mornings to start his stable chores with eight horses he has in work.
He then heads across the city to begin an eight-hour shift as a draftsman before returning home around 4.30pm each weekday.
“Thankfully I’ve got some fulltime staff that look after the horses while I’m at work and I get to finish off at the stables around 6.30pm,” he said.
It’s a gruelling schedule but Caught is reaping the rewards with Falino who has won four of his eight starts including his latest victory in the Group Three BTC Classic (1350m) at Doomben on May 21.
Caught is not afraid of venturing into the unknown as witnessed by his decision to try his luck in Sydney with Falino who was successful at Rosehill in December.
Caught has been training for about 20 years after starting off with trotters in Townsville in north Queensland.
“I got my trainer’s licence and was driving them in north Queensland when I was 16,” he said.
“I was also training in Cairns for a few years before I moved to Brisbane.”
Caught paid $14,000 for Falino who had a minor wither problem when he was sold at an Inglis tried horse sale in Sydney in July last year.
“I kept a half-share for myself and sold the other half to some of my clients,” he said.
Caught is a clever form student and has adopted a “La Montagna” theory with Falino who needs to win the QTC Cup to be assured of a start in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday week.
“I’m following a similar path which La Montagna took prior to her Stradbroke win (2006),” he said.
“She won the Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben before starting her Stradbroke campaign.
“I did the same with Falino who ran second in the Vo Rogue at the end of his last campaign before starting off his Stradbroke campaign.”
Caught’s biggest victory was with Falino at Group Three level last start and now he’s hopeful of taking another step up the ladder to Group Two in the QTC Cup.
A further step up to elite level may come next week in the Stradbroke if Falino qualifies but it won’t be enough for Caught to quit his profession as a draftsman.
“I’d need a couple of Group One wins to even consider quitting but for the time being that’s not going to happen and it’s a guaranteed wage,” he said.
AAP TURF
