MICHAEL NOLAN’S THREE SIGNIFICANT CONTRUBUTIONS TO THE RICH HISTORY OF THE WEETWOOD - PART 3

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Toowoomba based trainer Michael Nolan might have had to wait a while before he claimed success in the Weetwood, but he now has his name entrenched in no less than three very significant moments in Weetwood history.

MICHAEL NOLAN’S SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS IN WEETWOOD HISTORY - PART 3: THE JUMBO PRINCE, COL ‘N’ LIL DEAD-HEAT.

In 2017 Michael Nolan claimed his third Weetwood winner in the form of Jumbo Prince … but this time he had to share the spoils with the Ben Currie trained Co ‘N’ Lil as the judge could not separate the two runners on the line and declared a dead-heat.

The Weetwood had not produced a dead-heat before.

“We had set Jumbo Prince for the Weetwood first-up,” said Nolan. “He had to carry 57kg and he was only very small … but we did draw a good alley.

“Luke Tarrant was on him. He’d ridden him as a three-year-old in some of the big races he had competed in.” (Jumbo Prince had finished third in both the Group 1 Queensland Derby and the Group 3 Rough Habit as a three-year-old).

“The distance was a bit short for him, but we had him fresh … and we had him right on the day.

‘When they went through the line, I wasn’t quite sure who had won. Ben (Currie) was following me down the steps after the race down towards the number one stall and he wasn’t sure either. I didn’t know who had won … but I really didn’t even think of it being a dead-heat’.

“We were all standing around waiting for a number to go up, and then, when they put up a dead-heat, it was kind of funny in a way. We just said, ‘oh, it’s a dead-heat.’ I guess it was a little bit of an anti-climax not having an outright winner, but, if it was that close and you get to share the spoils, you can’t really complain.

“As rare as they are, that was actually the second time that Jumbo Prince had dead-heated. He was also involved in a dead-heat with Rudy in the Listed Members Handicap at Doomben over the 2016 Queensland Winter carnival … and we were also happy to celebrate that day.”

“The photo of that Weetwood finish we have on the wall shows Jumbo Prince just that bit in front. It was probably taken a little way out from the line … but hey look, a dead-heat is a dead-heat. We’ll take it.

“The previous year in the Weetwood Jumbo Prince got held up all the way down the straight … without that he, very simply, might also have had two Weetwood’s against his name … but it just wasn’t to be. He had no luck there and just ran into rumps.

“But, then do it again the next year and win in front of everyone up here. It is Toowoomba’s signature race. I don’t think there is a bigger thrill in racing for a Toowoomba trainer than to win a Weetwood. You know, when you live in the area and your horses are known in the area and their runs are followed in the area … you get plenty of coverage in the papers and support from the locals … it is just fantastic.”

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