When you saddle up twelve of your twenty horse team on the same programme and finish the day with four wins and four placings you’re entitled to feel well satisfied.
Saturday was a rewarding day at the office for Moree trainer Peter Sinclair who is enjoying his best start ever to a new season. His four win haul with Queen’s Song, Let Him Fly, Elavada and Danigree puts him on 26 wins since August 1st - eleventh spot on the NSW trainers premiership ladder.
Saturday’s quartet comes only six weeks after his milestone five win tally at Moree with Elle Valentina, Samphire Hoe, Happens Nomore, Mymill and Master Cramsie. Seven of those nine winners were ridden by in form Tamworth jockey Brooke Stower, while Belinda Hodder and Yvette Lewis chipped in with a win apiece.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Moree Dreaming (Rachael Murray) wins at Moree 10/11/2019.
Peter benefited from the transfer of the Armidale meeting to Moree. “A chronic water shortage has forced the Armidale Jockey Club to transfer recent meetings to other tracks”, said Peter. “That saved my horses a road trip of some 270 km, which gave them a huge advantage”.
While many country towns are struggling with the ravages of drought, Moree has the luxury of sitting right on Australia’s famed artesian basin. The town’s artesian baths have become not only a tourist attraction but a mecca for those seeking therapeutic benefits.
Peter Sinclair wouldn’t leave Moree if Sheikh Mohammed offered him a training contract in Dubai. “The whole town operates on treated artesian bore water, and the Moree Race Club track manager John Brown is able to water the course proper and training tracks everyday if required”, says Peter. “I even have the use of a swimming channel which never runs dry”.
Peter is one of only two thoroughbred trainers in the town of Moree, sharing the facilities with Doug Fernando. Both trainers have the use of a dirt training track and an all weather crusher dust circuit. “The race club Committee allows us to use the outside of the course proper on a regular basis”, says the trainer. “It’s a pleasure to deal with Club President Rob Mather and Race Club Secretary Michelle Gobbert”.
Image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Upstart (Brooke Stower) makes it four straight with a win in the Moree Cup 01/09/2019.
Peter (55) is a fourth generation Moree trainer. His great grandfather Peter was training horses at Tulloona Bore in the early 1900’s. His late grandfather George was one of the most astute horsemen of his era, putting the polish on several handy gallopers including city winner Waikiki Beach. George died in 2007 at age 84.
His father Phillip was rarely short of a handy horse. Peter was apprenticed to Phillip but it was obvious his riding career was destined to be a very fleeting one.
He lasted about eighteen months at his first attempt but quickly tired of the starvation diet. Following a good break he had another crack, lasting only one year before stashing his saddles and girths away permanently.
Peter has no idea how many winners he rode in his brief career, but it was enough to see him outride his country claim “I only rode one day a week which was half the trouble. If you’re going to keep your weight in check, you need to be riding two or three days a week “.
Shortly after taking out a trainer’s licence Peter helped to carve a little piece of Sinclair family history on the Moree track. It was a very special day when he, Phillip and George each saddled up a winner on the same day at a Non TAB meeting.
Award winning Moree racing journalist and aficionado Bill Poulus remembers the day well. “Not only did they each train a winner on the day, but between them they won all six races”, said Bill.
Peter Sinclair has emerged as a very serious professional trainer on registered tracks, following a long and spectacular run on the north and north western picnic circuit. Testimony to his domination of picnic racing over the last twenty five years is his astonishing tally of twelve Boolooroo Cups at Moree.
Image courtesy Bill Poulos - Peter keeps an owner informed between races.
This man is a veritable working dynamo. He’s been able to mix the riding and training of racehorses with his full time job as a Telstra technician for the past thirty five years. “I’ve become very used to the hours involved”, says Pete. “I’m at the stables at 4am every day, by which time Amee Williams and other loyal supporters have fed the team and mucked twenty boxes. Guy Tribe and I ride most of the trackwork and we get through them pretty quickly. I’m usually on the job for Telstra by 8am”.
Peter and Jenny Sinclair have derived tremendous joy in recent years from the progress of son Nathan who was born with spina bifida 31 years ago. Despite intense dialysis his kidneys began to shut down in 2013 and a transplant became crucial. It was Peter who gave his son the greatest gift of all by donating one of his kidneys, following intensive compatibility assessment.
Peter is grateful he had the opportunity to contribute to the life changing surgery. He marvels at the courage and positive attitude of his son, who wants nothing more than to uphold the family tradition as a fifth generation horse trainer.
Nathan has already prepared winners on both the picnic and registered circuits, to the delight of his parents. He has no horses in work currently, but intends to pick up the threads in the near future.
Image courtesy Bill Poulos - Three generations of horse trainers from left, Phillip, grandson Nathan and son Peter.
Nathan’s younger brother Jack and sister Jorja both showed ample talent in the saddle early in their lives, but have moved on to other pursuits.
Peter is still struggling with the loss of his great friend Darren Jones who lost his life in a race fall at Warialda in 2017. The respected jockey had originally planned a short holiday with his family, but delayed his trip away to ride four horses for Peter at the meeting.
The trainer was thrilled when Darren’s widow Sheridan attended Saturday’s Moree meeting with sons Jacob and William. “They actually stayed the weekend with Jenny and I and it was so good to catch up”, said Pete. “Sheridan is a remarkable woman who has handled a very tough time with amazing strength”.
Image courtesy Bill Poulos - Peter straps a horse ridden by his great mate Darren Jones who lost his life in a race fall at Warialda in 2017.
Peter in his mid fifties suddenly finds himself among the top dozen horse trainers in the state, but has no plans to change his routine. He finds twenty horses a manageable number - a number which enables him to approach a forty year association with Telstra. Obviously he dreams of that one top horse suddenly walking through the gate, but in the meantime he’s happy to place his horses where they can win.
Pete’s support base starts with Jenny who plays a major role in the running of the operation, while his ground staff are unfailingly reliable. He’s currently using talented riders like Brooke Stower, Belinda Hodder, Geoff Snowden and Rachel Murray with stunning results.
He has a string of country cups under his belt including two quinellas in the Moree Cup. He has the knack of being able to squeeze a win out of most horses that find their way into his stables.
He’d love to win another Moree Cup or maybe a TAB Highway in Sydney. To date he hasn’t had the right horse to warrant the 620 km trip. But better than that, he’d love to see the look on Nathan’s face if one of his son’s horses happens to win a Moree Cup down the track. Pete would be more than happy to run second.
Image courtesy Bill Poulos – “Cut it out Dad, people are watching”, says Nathan to his father after a training success.
(Banner image courtesy Bradley Photographers - Elle Valentina (Brooke Stower) - one of five wins for the stable at Moree 01/11/2019)