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Twenty years in the past, Shaun Dwyer gained the Group 1 Lightning Stakes with flying three-year-old filly Regimental Gal, however not even the knockabout Queensland coach realised how good his horse was.
It took legendary racing man Nick Columb to place it into perspective.
Columb, who handed away in 2018, was concerned in racing for shut to 5 many years and was a profitable racehorse proprietor with 17 Group 1 wins together with successful two Caulfield Cups with Tristarc (1985) and Imposera (1988).
“I didn’t know a lot about the entire state of affairs of that stage of Group 1 racing,” Dwyer, who was coaching in Toowoomba when Regimental Gal gained the Lightning, recollects.
“After Regimental Gal did what she did, by that stage I had began to go to yearling gross sales.
“Nick Columb got here as much as me on the steps of a resort in Auckland and he actually congratulated me on getting the place I bought with this filly and racing in opposition to the large boys.
“I keep in mind that fairly clearly.
“I believed that if Nick can say that then my steady should be doing the proper factor and Regimental Gal should be an excellent horse.”
• Revealed: $1.2m race to supply golden ticket to Caulfield Cup
Regimental Gal, bought for simply $16,500 on the yearling gross sales, was often called the “Toowoomba Twister”.
She gained the Gold Coast Magic Thousands and thousands 2YO Basic in 2003, following within the footsteps of her sire Normal Nediym who had gained the wealthy juvenile race in 1997.
There have been greater fish to fry when she went to Melbourne in 2004, lining up as a $5.50 likelihood within the Lightning at Flemington when ridden by Steven King as her common rider Michael Rodd was suspended.
It was a scorching 40 diploma day in Melbourne and a pair of massive punters who use to butter up each time she ran had a crack and weren’t dissatisfied when she bought house narrowly at Flemington.
Dwyer, a eager rugby league participant who hailed from Mackay however minimize his tooth working for the legendary Bart Cummings at Leilani Lodge, had stormed into racing’s Group 1 membership.
“It was 40 levels that day however the filly truly dealt with it fairly effectively, she was used to scorching and humid situations in Queensland,” Dwyer mentioned.
“Regimental Gal was typically ridden by Michael Rodd – I latched on to him once I was watching the Ipswich races sooner or later.
“However the factor I keep in mind most likely essentially the most concerning the Lightning was that Michael didn’t trip her.
“Lee Freedman had bought him to Melbourne about six weeks earlier and Michael ended up getting suspended.
“Two punters gained a good bit of cash on her all through her profession, they have been heavy hitters.
“That they had a crack at her within the Lightning they usually beloved it, it was fairly thrilling stuff.”
Regimental Gal went onto win one other Group 1, the Australia Stakes, however was retired in 2005 attributable to points along with her fetlocks.
However she took Dwyer on the trip of his life, accumulating a pair of Group 1s and greater than $1.6m in prizemoney earlier than being bought for $800,000.
Nonetheless, the Regimental Gal story may have been very totally different with out some early recommendation from former Toowoomba jockey Kristy Banks.
Banks, who was later paralysed when she crashed off a horse in 2011, advised Dwyer and Regimental Gal’s connections they need to not entertain early provides to promote the filly when she was a teenager.
“Kristy Banks was doing a number of using for me and he or she gave this filly a brief jumpout sooner or later and he or she was very impressed,” Dwyer recalled.
“We had a few substantial provides for her across the $100,000 mark however we stored her as a result of Kristy mentioned she was fairly good.
“On that recommendation, I don’t suppose the homeowners have been tempted to promote the filly earlier than she raced.
“She actually took us all on an amazing trip.”
As of late, Dwyer is coaching on the Sunshine Coast.
He has skilled many stakes winners over time however continues to be looking for his subsequent Regimental Gal.
Final 12 months, Coolangatta grew to become the primary three-year-old filly since Regimental Gal to attain the Lightning.
Initially revealed as 20 years since Regimental Gal gained the Group 1 Lightning Stakes
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