THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: BROWNIE GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT HE HAS RECEIVED

By Graham Potter | Monday, April 1, 2019

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

Racing is not that much different to other walks of life when it comes to the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ theory.

That is why staying in the spotlight is so important for jockeys. Get the right results gets you right horses. Be injured or suspended though and you drop off the radar very quickly and if your time out of action is for an extended period … well, then that is when the out of sight out of mind situation can kick in.

Even if you are a champion jockey.

That is why it has been encouraging to note that the Sunshine Coast’s multiple Jockeys' Premiership winner Damian Browne, who has been out of action since early January, continues to have many people wishing him well.

An extraordinary example of that was a card that Browne received in the post early last week. It was from the Gold Coast Turf Club and the card, which was signed by all of the Gold Coast directors, contained a simple message.

It read, ‘Dear Damian. On behalf of the Board Of Directors, Management and Staff of the Gold Coast Turf Club, we wish to send you our thoughts and wishes as we hope you have a speedy recovery so we can see you back in the saddle soon. We miss you.’

That sentiment is expressed a hundred times over around the tracks in South East Queensland.

Speaking to Browne last week it was clear that he was thankful for all of the good wishes from each and every individual and he does take some solace from the fact that so many people are still thinking about him.

Of course, Browne’s well documented cause of distress and being sidelined was not from a regular injury or suspension and, sadly, his progress from what started with a perforated bowel, which stopped him in his tracks, and moved to a kidney complaint and then an on-going problem with his leg (which required surgery recently) has been slow.

There is also a lot of pain management involved adding to the difficulty of Browne’s situation. So there is a way to go yet.

But out of sight, out of mind?

Not Damian Browne!

His following out there is still very much alive.

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