You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, and Tony and Maddysen Sears did that last preparation which is now paying dividends with The Gambling Greek.
Shooting for his third win in succession after victories at Doomben and Murwillumbah, the four-year-old has been a product of patience by the father and daughter training pair.
The Gambling Greek lines up in the TAB Class 5 Handicap (1100m) at Ipswich on Thursday and his early 2026 is not so much about being a summer horse but more about the time allowed to find his winning rhythm again.
“He’s always shown a lot,” Maddy Sears said.
“He just didn’t really come up last time in so we tipped him out and started again and it has been the best thing we could have done with him.
“He’s got a lot of confidence out of the last win and he keeps going ahead in leaps and bounds.
The Gambling Greek should either on or setting the pace again from barrier two with Brandon Lerena aboard to reunite the successful pair from Doomben.
“Horses aren’t machines and he just wasn’t quite racing how we know we can,” Sears said of the of the gelding’s form which saw him go winless from January to January.
“There was nothing we could put our finger on but Craig Black who we own him with, he’s a tremendous person to train for, he said ‘righto, just put him out and start again’.
“He thought something wasn’t right and we know how talented he is so we pressed restart.”
A winner of four races with as many placings in 15 starts, the gelding has been a Racing and Sports ratings riser this preparation having reached a career peak last start, and Sears is ready for her galloper to build on that again.
The Gambling Greek is the $1.85 favourite across markets for the second event.
“We think he’s going to be really hard to beat tomorrow,” Sears added.
“His work has been super and he looks great with another great race for him.”
