When you run into a horse trainer you haven’t seen for a while, it’s standard practice to inquire about the potential of the horses he or she happens to be training at the time. I posed that exact question to Gary Nickson last May at a farewell function for retiring jockey Brian Wood. “I’ve got an unraced maiden by Smart Missile I’m pretty excited about,” said Gary with a twinkle in his eye. “I put him away after his first barrier trial, but he’s back in work now and will have another trial in about a month.”
Felix Majestic won that second trial by a big space with Kathy O’Hara in the saddle. Gary must have been tempted to look for a maiden two year old race, but opted to put him away again. It should be noted that the impressive trial win immediately attracted the attention of the relentless Hong Kong agents. Their interest persisted for quite some time, but the gelding’s owners affirmed their intention to keep him in Australia.
Jason Collet was the jockey when Felix Majestic made his debut in a 900m maiden at Newcastle four months later. Never on the track from a wide gate, he finished fourth after laying out noticeably in the straight. Nine days later he beat all but Red Card in a Hawkesbury maiden. The winner has subsequently won at Moonee Valley and at Pakenham on Saturday. Felix Majestic then showed the benefit of experience with an effortless maiden win at Hawkesbury on November 3rd. Thirteen days later he did a fair bit of early work before finishing a creditable third to talented horses Operative and Tashi in a BM68 at the Rosehill midweek meeting.
“I accepted for a BM64 at Kensington on Friday and Saturday’s BM72 at Rosehill,” said Gary Nickson. “He drew better at Rosehill and I couldn’t see a leader in the race. The owners were keen to run on Saturday and for once, everything worked out as planned. Kathy O’Hara got a comfortable lead and we elected to let him stride along freely. He gave a good kick to have the race won at the 200m, and actually pricked his ears when he heard Garza Blanca on his outside near the line. It was an emphatic win.”
Felix Majestic looked comfortable in defeating Garza Blanca on Saturday at Rosehill - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Felix Majestic’s owners are Phillip and Evonne Katos who run a very successful seafood wholesale business in Geelong. The association began thirty eight years ago when Phillip contacted Gary without notice asking the trainer to find him a horse to race in Sydney. The result was a Red Tony filly called Always Flushed who won two year old races at Canterbury and Warwick Farm, before developing a heart strain which terminated her career. Phillip raced that filly with his brother Peter and Gary’s wife Wendy. Business pressures saw Phillip put his horse interests on the backburner for a number of years.
Gary almost dropped the phone one day in 2015 when Phillip called to renew acquaintances, and to offer him two Beneteau fillies to train. Lauren’s Magic failed to win in seventeen starts. Evonne’s Magic fared much better winning a Gosford maiden and placing seven times. At the end of their racing careers both mares were sent to Twin Hills Stud where they’re permanently domiciled. It took Felix Majestic a tick over 68 seconds on Saturday to greatly enhance the value of Lauren’s Magic by making her the dam of a metropolitan winner.
Evonne's Magic wins a Gosford maiden on new year's eve 2016 with Rachel King on board - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Gary Nixon has spent every day of his working life engaged in the racing industry. His aspirations to become a jockey were thwarted by weight issues, but he did the next best thing and became an in demand trackwork rider in the employ of trainer George McCahon at the long defunct Roseberry track. One of his tutors was a very young Peter Miers who was destined for later success as an apprentice and a senior jockey.
It was trainer Brian Culbert who introduced Gary to the busy Canterbury training precinct in the early 1970’s. The young horseman rode trackwork for Culbert and made a start as a commercial horse breaker. “I was able to rent a few boxes in one of the many old stabling complexes around Canterbury racecourse,” recalled Nickson. “It took me a while but I finished up with a nice little clientele. I’ve always enjoyed breaking in young horses.”
When Gary Nickson began his professional training career in the 1978/1979 season, he was working his handful of horses before heading off to a full time job with Wales & Co. He spent ten years with the frozen seafood importing company, the last few as Australian Sales Manager. His first winner as a professional trainer came quickly when Fortify scored at Nowra with Brett Butler in the saddle. Easily his most significant horse in the early years was the royally bred Grass Salad who was originally purchased at the Inglis Easter Sale for an ownership syndicate comprising the Foyster family, Jack and Bob Ingham and the acclaimed actor James Mason. Tommy Smith was Grass Salad’s trainer during the colt’s injury plagued early career. Following unsuccessful stints with Vic Thompson Jnr and Kevin Robinson, Grass Salad was purchased by Gary Nickson at an Inglis Tried Horse Sale for $1600, and syndicated to family members. The young trainer went to extraordinary lengths to manage the horse’s issues and performed a minor miracle in winning ten races with the high profile blueblood. A Canterbury win with Grass Salad in March 1983 gave him his first metropolitan training success.
10 wins with "cast off" Grass Salad got Gary going. The winners have continued to flow - winners like Alpha Miss in the 2013 Gimcrack Stakes. Strapper is Daniel Nickson - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Whenever his horse numbers dwindled in those early years, Gary would quickly find a job to help tide him over. One role he filled capably was that of part time truck driver for Harry Bedford’s horse transport company. Harry at that time was training a team of harness horses and was a regular competitor at Harold Park and Sydney’s suburban tracks. “On occasions I’d give Harry a hand with his pacers at nearby Picken Oval at Croydon which was used by a number of trainers,” said Gary. “I actually got to drive good horses like Titian’s Prince and Titian’s Princess in their trackwork.”
With rarely more than 12-15 horses in work at Canterbury, Gary established a healthy strike rate right through until 1998 when the course was closed as a training venue. He rode the majority of his own trackwork and adopted a thoroughly hands on approach. Easily his most notable performer during that time was Tandrio who’d gone amiss when trained at Randwick by the astute Mal Barnes. “He had a pretty bad tendon and some serious joint issues so I knew I was going to have my work cut out,” said Gary.
“He spent more time at Brighton Beach than he did at Canterbury, and slowly but surely we got him somewhere near right.
“It was a huge thrill when he won the Tramway Hcp with Peter Cook in the saddle, and an even bigger thrill when he pulled up in good shape. We couldn’t get Peter for the Epsom so we engaged Terry Duckett and told him to lead and hope there wouldn’t be too much pressure. The late Noel Barker on Riverdale thought Tandrio had gotten away with murder in front and attacked him a fair way from home. Noel’s judgment was spot on. Riverdale beat us comfortably, but Tandrio held the others out to get second. That’s the closest we’ve gone to a Gr 1 victory. If only Riverdale had left him alone for a bit longer.”
Gary brought Tandrio back from oblivion to win the 1984 Tramway Handicap from Eastern Bay. 2 champion jockeys featured in the finish - Peter Cook on Tandrio, Ron Quinton on the runner up - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Gary had no idea what lay ahead when he joined an exodus of trainers from Canterbury to other locations. He was lucky enough to find stables at Warwick Farm but got the shock of his life when barred entry to the training tracks. “And so began one of the lowest periods of my career,” said the trainer. “Luckily I had a very small team at the time, and I was able to juggle their trackwork schedule to fit in with race commitments. I floated horses to Rosehill six days a week for six months to get them worked, hoping all the time somebody at the AJC would take pity on me.
“Despite all of our difficulties we cracked it for a city double one day and that did the trick. A newspaper headline the following day carried the story of the trainer without a track. To this day I don’t know who did what, but next minute I got the green light to use the training tracks at Warwick Farm. That was the most important double of my career.”
The talented trainer has enjoyed richly deserved success in recent years with a group of special horses. The unsound Voilier won a two year old race at Rosehill before finishing second to Headwater in the Silver Slipper Stakes. Mandalong Kiss won three city races, while Zakynthos Imprintz posted seven wins including four in the city. In more recent times Gary enjoyed a very pleasing two year old year with Alpha Miss. Under his tutelage the filly won the Gimcrack Stakes, Victory Vein Stakes and the Lonhro Plate before finishing third in the Reisling Stakes. She was unsuited by a Heavy 8 track in finishing well back in Mossfun’s Golden Slipper.
Those brilliant Nickson stable colours stand out! Voilier wins at Randwick with Jay Ford 2018 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
In checking Gary’s background I had a long yarn with his older brother Colin whose long career in racing administration began as an office boy with the Australian Jockey Club in 1963. He progressed through many roles to be Assistant Handicapper and Judge by age 26. He was 33 when promoted to Chief Handicapper in 1980. Seven years later he opted for a change of environment when offered the position of Chief Handicapper for the Malaysian Racing Association.
On returning to Australia in 1989 he settled on a country lifestyle as Secretary Manager of the CDRA (Central District Racing Association). He spent a pleasant eight years operating from the Association’s head office at Orange. He was back on the AJC handicapping panel in 1997 when the historic club lost its control of racing to the newly implemented Thoroughbred Racing Board, later to become Racing NSW. The year of 2002 found Col Nickson in Macau as Chief Handicapper where he would spend a further four years. He wound down his distinguished career in the dual role of handicapper and licensing supervisor for Racing NSW. He was in the chair when three budding trainers arrived for their official interviews. “I had the job of interviewing Chris Waller, Joe Pride, and John O’Shea,” said Col. “Wouldn’t it be interesting to tally up the number of races they’ve won between them. The Gr 1 total would be mind boggling.”
Col is now in retirement on the NSW Central Coast but maintains his racing interest by acting as Gary’s unofficial racing manager. He looks after nominations, acceptances, riders and plays a part in race programming. The Nickson brothers have been very close throughout their lives, and it’s not hard to tell the bond remains intact. “Gary has had his share of setbacks but remains as enthusiastic as he was the day he started work with George McCahon,” says Col. “His passion for the horses has never diminished. He loves what he does and can prepare a talented horse as well as anybody. He’s also intensely committed to his owners.
Gary catches up with brother Colin, sister-in-law Elizabeth and Col's grand daughters Madeline, Amelia and Chelsea at Cessnock races 2019.
Col at Cessnock races 2014 with strapper Doug Llambias, Danial Nickson and Celebrity Bon who'd just won her maiden. Col part owned the grey filly.
“I’ve always marvelled at Gary’s versatility. He was a very promising footballer in his teens, and even showed some ability in the boxing ring. His talents with thoroughbreds were boundless, and later in life he got to a very high level in the campdrafting pursuit. For years he would keep a couple of stock horses in the stables and work them regularly. He’s been successful at the highest level in the sport.”
Gary Nickson has proven himself a very gifted tutor of apprentices. His proteges include Chris Whiteley, Dean Pettit, Gary Matthews, Erhan Kacmaz, Dean Greville and Col’s son Daniel Nickson who rode close to eighty winners before weight caught up. Daniel is now training a small team on the far South Coast and won a race with Mandalong Superb on the Sapphire Coast as recently as November 28th. Jay Ford and Craig Carmody weren’t apprenticed to Gary, but received valuable early tuition from the outstanding horseman.
With only a dozen horses in work at Warwick Farm Gary won’t be dominating the racing scene, but there are two horses he looks forward to campaigning through next year’s autumn carnival. One is obviously Felix Majestic who’s now heading for the spelling paddock. The other is Mandalong Missile who registered only two minor placings from her first ten starts, but has suddenly become a racehorse. The Smart Missile filly has reeled off three impressive wins at Goulburn, Canberra and Queanbeyan.
Regular followers of Sydney racing would have noticed that Gary has trained many horses over the years whose names feature the “Mandalong” prefix. The trainer was deeply saddened recently to lose his valued owner and long time friend Ric Pisaturo at the remarkable age of 100. A former major cattle breeder, Ric had scaled down his operation in recent years and was enjoying breeding and raising thoroughbreds on his property “Mandalong” at St Clair west of Sydney. “It was wonderful to see the joy his horses brought him,” said Gary. “He was a loyal owner and a caring friend. I’ll miss him a great deal. His family seem to share his passion for thoroughbreds.”
Those who believe seventy year old Gary Nickson might move right away from horses in his latter years should think again. Not only does he see himself tinkering with a galloper or two ad infinitum, but he’s even threatening to regenerate his involvement in the camp drafting sphere. For now he’s content to train his team of twelve horses, with a renewed enthusiasm triggered by Felix Majestic and Mandalong Missile. All the way through he’s had the unwavering support of his wife Wendy who looks after the many administrative duties associated with a racing stable. Wendy is currently recovering from surgery with all of her trademark spirit and good humour. There’s still time for the popular horseman to nail the elusive Gr 1 that slipped through his fingers when Noel Barker on Riverdale worried Tandrio out of Epsom victory all those years ago.
Col and Elizabeth Nickson at the Hillston races 2021.
(Banner image - A beaming Kathy O'Hara brings Felix Majestic back to scale on Saturday - courtesy Steve Hart Photograhics.)