Here we go again!
It is both a compliment to trainers in Toowoomba, and the results they produce with certain horses, that they have attracted a rush of attention from both national and international buying markets … but it also has a rolling consequence in that, while the cash rolls in, horses move out leaving them the trainers in limbo while they look for the next good thing.
The Donald Baker trained Legal Esprit is the latest to fall under the gaze of Hong Kong buyers with Baker confirming that a deal is pending subject to a vet check. This follows on the successful sale of another of Baker’s runners, Mr Majestic, to Hong Kong in recent months.
Legal Esprit, a son of Bel Esprit won in good fashion at Eagle Farm last Saturday taking his record to a proud five wins from only six starts. He finished third in his only defeat … while Mr Majestic left Australia’s shores as a two-time winner from only four starts, with a further two placings to his credit.
Clearly if a horse shows any significant promise at this stage, it becomes a potential target for big money buyers.
Incentivise, one of the stars of the Queensland Winter Carnival and now the ruling Melbourne Cup favourite, was based in Toowoomba with trainer Steve Tregea prior to his sale to southern interests in July and another previously Toowoomba based rising star, Hinged, only recently left the Michael Nolan stable after being sold, again to southern interests.
Incentivise won his last six races for Tregea by a combined total of forty-two lengths to take away an overall race record of six wins in nine starts, while Hinged left Toowoomba as a five-time winner from seven starts with two runner-up finishes.
Clearly doing well with a horse is a double-edged sword for these trainers with Toowoomba’s star performers being plundered in recent times but, in essence, these outcomes stand to the individual trainer’s credit for the way they have handled and managed the careers of these horses until there was that knock on the door.
