TYCOON ACE'S BAT OUT OF HELL WIN SEES TONY SEARS WELCOMED INTO THE HARLEY DAVIDSON 'FAMILY'

By Tony Sears | Wednesday, May 29, 2019

The Gold Coast Turf Club had hoped to attract national interest and nation-wide entries for the Bat Out Of Hell race, which was contested at Aquis Park on May 5, by presenting a Harley Davidson Fatboy as a special and separate prize to the winning trainer. That hope, with regard to the origin of the entries, didn’t quite come to fruition but, either way, given the success rate of visitors over the Queensland Racing Winter Carnival, it was good to see the Fatboy claimed by a Queensland based trainer, Tony Sears, who took out the race with Tycoon Ace. Here Tony speaks to HRO’s Graham Potter about how the day he went to the races and won a Harley Davidson.

“I went to the races that day pretty confident that Tycoon Ace would run well. There was good speed in the race and he drew well. At the Gold Coast he has had five starts for four wins so I had reason to be pretty confident.

“He didn’t race well in the wet at Caloundra but he had raced at the Gold Coast in the wet and handled it … no problem. I wouldn’t actually say he was wet-tracker but on the Bat Out Of Hell day he was.

"Most times he handles it. It was just that one day at Caloundra where it was very heavy and it didn’t work out.

“I didn’t think too much about the prize until they hit the line and then I thought … shit, I’ve won a Harley!

“Tycoon Ace had run in the Weetwood and then I saw this race and I said to my wife I think I’ll send him down to Washpool Lodge for a few weeks and then bring him back for this Bat Out Of Hell.

"I said, you never know, we might win a Harley Davidson … but that was the furthest thought in my mind during the actual running of the race.

“It worked out well for all of us and it was a big thrill … especially for Tycoon Ace’s owner who has a lot of horses with us.

"He is a good friend of ours and is very good to our stable.

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“Obviously, I had to wait for the swab to clear. You couldn’t take the bike before that had happened so it was left at the Gold Coast Turf Club … and then after that it was sent back to the Harley Davidson shop.

“We went down there and I had to sign up for it and get it registered.

“It’s a big deal with the Harley Davidson. They go through all of these protocols … showing you how to ride, what you should do and what you shouldn’t do. They’re also quick to sell you a helmet and those sort of things too.

“Now I’ve got a helmet, a jacket … it’s a quality one, it’s all double-lined … and they even got me to buy a pair of gloves. Not that I really need them … and I bought a cover for the bike. At the moment it hasn’t got a seat on the back because it is a sports model.

“I have got a normal bike license but I’ve actually had to upgrade it to be able to ride the Harley. It was only a matter of going there, spending an hour or something riding around … otherwise you have got to put a P Plate on and have someone following you around.

“I also went into the Harley Davidson shop in Toowoomba along the way.

“I was just looking around and I told them that I’d won a Harley Davidson and the guy there, Gus, he said, ‘welcome to the family’ and was shaking my hand.

"It was a pretty good feeling.

“It’s an experience I tell you.”

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“We couldn’t pick it up bike at the time when to sign up because we had a float with us and that wouldn’t work … but Harley Davidson delivered it up Toowoomba free of charge.

“That happened last Friday. I couldn't wait. I had a big smile on my face.

“It’s good to drive. It’s really comfortable.

“It’s most probably got plenty of power if I want to use it but I don’t think I’ll be going pretty fast on it.

“I’m very happy with it.”

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