Gary Nielsen is a raconteur wearing many racing hats as an owner, breeder, trainer, ex-director of the Ballina Jockey Club and husband of the late jockey Iris Nielsen.
The likeable character with a lifetime involvement in racing, saddles up beautifully bred mare Mini Delago in the Iris Nielsen Prelude at his home track on Tuesday.
A win for the six-year-old mare would assure a start in the $50,000 Iris Nielsen Ladies Invitational (1400m) on January 29.
The event is in honour of the pioneering female rider whose life was tragically cut short when she died as a result of injuries sustained after a race fall aboard Happy Zephyr at Lismore in March, 1988.
Gary Nielsen was instrumental in the Iris Nielsen, inaugurated in 2008, becoming one of the BJC’s feature races. It has grown in stature every year.
In the early years Gary had several starters in the Iris Nielsen but is yet to win the event. Sentiment aside, even victory in the Prelude would be fitting.
A laid-back gentleman, Nielsen prefers to play down the important link.
“Tomorrow wasn’t a race I targeted Mini Delago for,” he said.
“It’s a race that suits, the distance suits. We’ll just see what happens.
“If she won, she’d go onto the main race (Iris Nielsen) but that will be a lot harder. I hear there are some good horses coming for it.”
Mini Delago is one of many successful forays Nielsen has developed with a band of 12 well-bred broodmares.
She is out of Tasmanian Oaks-placed Danehill mare La Supreme.
Unfortunately for Nielsen, who also runs a successful contract machinery business servicing the cotton industry, La Supreme died after producing only two foals.
“Supreme Delago races in Melbourne but the mare got a twisted bowel and had to be put down,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen has only three horses in work.
“I sell what I can and race what I can’t,” he said.
Mini Delago has had two runs since resuming for a first-up long neck second to Ty Seeker over 1005m at Ballina on December 12 and a 5.4-length fifth to Miss October over 1200m at the Gold Coast on December 24.
The mare, however, has a win and second from her only two starts at Ballina.
“Her first-up run was good after a long break. Second-up was only average,” Nielsen said.
“She’s only a small mare, hence the name. She does have some ability and she’s well at the moment.”
AAP TURF
