One of Barry Squair’s few regrets as a jockey was his failure to win a Weetwood Handicap but he is set to square the ledger as a trainer with a horse which has cheated death.
Squair was for decades Toowoomba’s top jockey and formed a lethal combination with the late trainer Jim Atkins.
Since retiring from the saddle 20 years ago, Squair has consistently produced winners from a small team.
His galloper G’day Old Mate earned himself a start in the $150,000 Listed Weetwood Handicap (1200m) at Toowoomba next week with his win at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
G’day Old Mate ($8.50) charged home to beat Bahsa ($12) by a half neck in the Sky Racing World Handicap (1000m).
“I never won the Weetwood as a jockey with a third the best I managed. G’Day Old Mate deserves his chance and I won’t have to do much with him this week,” Squair said.
He revealed G’day Old Mate was lucky to be alive, let alone still racing.
“I thought he had colic and we sent him to the Oakey vet clinic,” Squair said.
“They had to operate on him where they found three cricket ball sized stones in his intestines.”
“The vets said he was lucky to be alive and would have died if we hadn’t got him to the clinic in time.”
Gosford trainer Tony Newling got his first city win with Timeless Prince who cost a modest $8000 at a Patinack Farm dispersal sale.
Timeless Prince ($5.50) took his prize money to $125,000 when he won the AON Industry Handicap (1500m).
Newling, who has nine horses in work, has been training at Gosford for the past six years but rarely has a city runner.
Timeless Prince will now be eased with the South Grafton Cup in July his likely long term target.
