ROB'S SHOUT - GOLLAN SETS THE EARLY PACE

By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, August 9, 2012

Robert Heathcote is the leading racehorse trainer in Brisbane. 'Rob's Shout' - the personal blog of the multi-premiership and Group 1 winning trainer will appear every Thursday on HRO.

"Take a tip from me. Big Tony Gollan is in for a big year, he is building up a very nice team of horses."

Who said that? I did ... two blogs back. The season is only starting but Gollan has already franked the form I anticipated he would show with five winners in the first week making me a pretty good tipster already.

I am not saying he will fight the premiership out this year, but I won't be surprised to see his stable figure prominently all year.

I am actually tipping the Patinack juggernaut to 'win the metro flag' this current season. They have a great infrastructure with some top staff and depth of horses and numbers which is what is needed.

My stable does intend to be competitive although the core group of top horses in the stable will predominantly do their racing interstate! That's the plan at this stage anyway as once they get so high in the ratings, it does become very tough to place them here outside of carnival time.

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I was recently asked what the vibe is like between trainers, not only at my home track at Eagle Farm but also generally!

I personally think there is a healthy respect among us all, as we all know exactly what it takes to get the job done successfully.

I have no doubt that every trainer has a hatful of stories of woe and disappointments, so generally when a trainer enjoys a good run or wins a special race, there is usually a feeling of good will towards their success from the 'opposing' trainers.

Sure, there will always be that touch of envy and maybe the cynics could even say jealousy but that's going to be the case in most professions and no less so in the racing game.

I have only ever been based at Eagle Farm and Doomben and the infrastructure at present doesn't allow a lot of comingling, but I do know the camaraderie at the southern tracks in Melbourne and Sydney can be a bit closer than ours due to the way the training is set up and the trainers facilities are far superior to ours with their viewing centres.

Mutual respect, I think that's the term to best sum up the feeling among the trainers!

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A few in house issues at present at my home track are bringing the local trainers together a bit more than usual which is a good thing, even if we do compete against each other on a regular basis.

The hours are long and getting up every day at 2 something when it's about 4 to 5 degrees takes a bit of getting used to so a bit of banter and a few laughs is necessary to help us get through the morning.

Schweida is always quick with a bit of sharp wit and the old fella, BJ Smith likes to tell a yarn or two. Bazza is always up for a laugh and the new kid on the block, Big T Bar, is sharper than he looks!

There's always going to be the invariable disagreement which can at times get very vocal and even a touch more heated at times, but that just shows the competitive nature of the industry participants!

There are rules and regulations which must be strictly adhered to and there have been times when these rules are breached, especially in the jockey rooms after a race, but generally the stewards keep a tight lid on things with the tough penalties which can be dished out if verbal disagreements become physical.

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It's been great to see the level of success the young Brisbane apprentices have been having this past few months.

I am not so sure of the exact reason to be honest? A good crop of riders getting on the right horses at a time of year where the handicaps are perhaps not spread as much.

Maybe the claims are a bit more significant due to the class of horse, but also maybe the rain affected tracks have made the weight claims a little more significant. I think as the tracks dry out and the form becomes more reliable, we will see the quality of the senior riders shine through.

Congratulations to all the young riders though. They are doing a great job so hopefully they can keep their heads on and their work attitudes and work ethics at a high level as they can just as quickly be forgotten by the owners and trainers as we have seen in the past!

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My young lad, Ryan Hurdle has built up a great relationship with Fire Up Fifi and Ryan's ride last Saturday was a pearler. He was caught a bit wide early but he didn't panic and kept her nice and tight with cover until exactly the right time and when he showed Fifi some daylight … wow, she let down awesome.

In fact, her last furlong was quicker than the 1000m sprinters so little wonder she won by 3 lengths.

I was planning to spell her but to see the way she pulled up on Sunday and with a nice open mile next week, we would be silly not to give her one last race this prep.

Little doubt that as the winners come for the young riders, their confidence grows as they hone their skills. Confidence is everything in this industry … from the riders, the trainers and perhaps even more so with the punters.

Confidence to bet and know they get a decent run for their money!

What’s the old saying? 'Money lost, nothing lost! Confidence lost, everything lost! So true … and it’s why a good positive and confident attitude in this business is essential!

It’s generally a little bit of a quiet time of the year on the local racing scene but that doesn't mean we don't try just as hard to get that very next winner.

Cheers for now.

Robert

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