'YOU HAVE TO DREAM. IF YOU DON'T YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET THERE, ARE YOU?'

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, September 20, 2022

“You have to dream, don’t you? If you don’t you are not going to get there are you?”

And trainer Desleigh Forster is following her own advice and dreaming big!

Having claimed her first Group 1 win with her star performer Apache Chase in the Kingsford-Smith Cup back in May, a result which also propelled her to a personal victory in the chase for last season’s Wayne Wilson Medal which she was awarded last week, Forster has a realm of options awaiting Apache Chase in the coming months … and she clearly is embracing the host of opportunities being afforded her.

“He (Apache Chase) will to The Premiere on October 1,” said Forster. The Premiere is a Group 2 race over 1200m for a prize-money pool of $1 million. “That will decide where we will end up after that.

The Everest is a possibility (if he can secure a slot), but there are also another couple of nice options for him.” The Everest is worth over 1200m for a prize-money pool of $15 million … with $6.2 million going to the winner.

“He is going super,” confirmed Forster, who will give Apache Chase a jump out at Doomben to “top him up for Sydney,” before heading south.

Forster was a popular and runaway winner of the Wayne Wilson Medal last week, an award which is designed to give trainers in Queensland, whatever their status or size of operation, the opportunity to compete for the honour with their relative best achievements being put into a balanced perspective with the monthly finalists for the season then being voted on by a panel of judges.

“The Wayne Wilson Medal award is pretty high up in my estimation. It honours the memory of a man who was well-liked and well respected where-ever he went.

“He was a really nice gentleman. I feel very privileged to have won it this year.”

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