Muswellbrook trainer Tim McIntosh was resigned to defeat when Absolute Trust was tackled by Clearly Regal 200m out in Saturday’s TAB Highway at Randwick. “I thought Kurt Goldman’s horse had his measure, but our bloke showed plenty of fight,” he said.
Absolute Trust was given a perfect run in fourth spot by Josh Parr, with Clearly Regal tracking him most of the way. Both horses got the better of the leader Pace Stick close to home, with Absolute Trust extending like a horse who wanted to win. He had half a head to spare on the line from Clearly Regal - one of four minor placings on the day for jockey Sam Clipperton.
Absolute Trust has now banked $90,000 in a seven start career which has yielded three wins and three seconds. “He cost us just $6000 at the 2017 Inglis Scone Sale and looks like developing into a real bargain buy,” said Tim. “I retained a share and now race him with Craig Benjamin, John Bennett and Matt Piniw.”
There was a lot to like about Absolute Trust's gutsy win in the TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The five year old is by Turangga Farm stallion Trusting, a three time Group 2 winner for Patinack Farm. He went within a head of snaring his Group 1 when just pipped by Queenslander Captain Sonador in the 2010 Epsom Hcp.
Absolute Trust is one of only two foals to race out of Exalted Mollie, a 2006 mare by Alannan (USA) from Keetah’s Lady. She placed only once in ten South Australian starts before being sold to central Queensland, where she compiled a modest record of four wins and half a dozen placings. Her wins were at Yeppoon, Rockhampton, Emerald and the little known venue of Springsure, 800kms north west of Brisbane.
Exalted Mollie has had a chequered stud career. She’s “missed” on several occasions and sadly lost one of her foals for reasons unknown. Her only other offspring to race is her first foal Eyeronic, an eleven start maiden who banked only $1800. She has a two year old and a yearling both by Salade, but for now Absolute Trust is the hope of the side.
Tim has had opportunities to increase the size of his team but prefers to keep things the way they are - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Tim was both surprised and flattered some seven years ago when Craig Benjamin asked him to train the horse he regards as the one to launch his career. “Star Shaft was wonderfully consistent and put together $150,000 in prize money,” he said. “He won only three times but two of those were TAB Highway races - he also ran six seconds and nine thirds. To top it off I accepted Craig’s invitation to share in the ownership of the horse.”
It was an exciting and nerve wracking occasion for the young trainer when Star Shaft lined up for the TAB Highway at Randwick on December 5th 2015. His co owners were his first outside clients, and this was his first metropolitan starter. Imagine his elation a few minutes later when expatriate Western Australian jockey Paul King brought Star Shaft with a barnstorming run to win one of the early Highway events.
Seven months later, the thrill was almost as good when the same horse finished powerfully to win another TAB Highway. This one was at Rosehill, and the jockey was apprentice Matt McGillivray who was then based at Randwick. He has since gone on to establish himself among Brisbane’s best riders. “I’d still be putting him on had he remained in Sydney,” says Tim. “He’s an outstanding rider.”
Tim with Matt McGillivray after a TAB Highway win with Star Shaft 2016 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Tim McIntosh inherited his racing genes from his mother’s side of the family. Christine McIntosh is the daughter of the late Noel McInerney who trained successfully from his Muswellbrook base until his passing fourteen years ago. She’s also the niece of successful trainer Pat Farrell who’s rarely been without a good horse in a career spanning fifty five years.
Tim learned all the basics of horse management from his great uncle, and before long was riding trackwork at Muswellbrook. “I got keener with every track gallop, and my entire focus was on being a jockey,” he said. “Pat Farrell very kindly signed me up and the long, hard journey began.”
Wyong trainer Rod Bailey was the man to provide the youngster’s first winner. “It was just before Christmas 2006 and Rod put me on a horse called My Joey at Scone,” said Tim. “I scrambled in from a horse ridden by Linda Meech. Who would have dreamed she’d be winning a Melbourne jockeys premiership twelve or thirteen years later.”
Tim spent the last two years of his apprenticeship with successful Tamworth trainer Mark Mason and rode regular winners around the north west of NSW. All up he won 110 races including Guyra, Armidale, Quirindi and Wellington Cups. The four Cup wins were all courtesy of Prussian Secret. “He was the best horse I rode in my short career,” said the experienced horseman. “I won six races on him in total including one at Eagle Farm - my one and only metropolitan winner.”
Tim runs what can only be described as a “mixed business” at Muswellbrook racecourse. He usually has up to thirty five horses in the stable, but only a fifth of that number are actually racehorses. The balance of the team comprises pre trainers and “breakers”. Tim has acquired a sound reputation in the industry as a yearling breaker, with clients coming from far and wide. He and valued right hand man Luke Hollis have completed the breaking in of seventy young horses this year.
“I’ve had the opportunity to increase my racehorse numbers, but I’m pretty happy in my current situation,” said Tim. “The racing team will always be up and down, but pre trainers and breakers are constant business. If Sheikh Mohammed offered me twenty racehorses next week, I’d probably have to decline.”
Tim and jockey Ben Looker after a Muswellbrook win by Just Snooping 01/05/2015 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Tim’s the first to admit his operation would not function effectively without the unwavering support of his devoted Mum. “She does every menial chore you can imagine in an operation of this size,” he said. “She looks after every aspect of the business other than working horses. She’s worth two Group 1 performers.”
Young McIntosh is probably causing unrest among his valued clients at the moment. Some want him to train more racehorses, others would love to see him expand the other side of the business.
The fact is he’s pretty content in both worlds, and very talented in two skills. It will be interesting to see if the sweet scent of victory at historic Randwick last Saturday has an intoxicating effect.
Tim takes his horses where they are best placed. Here's Smooth Truth winning at Tamworth in 2018 with Grant Buckley - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Absolute Trust showed plenty of grit to hold out Clearly Regal in Saturday's TAB Highway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)