Those with long memories in Queensland racing say that Rex Lipp first hinted at retirement after winning the Queensland Oaks with Tinto in 2014. He was still dropping the hint when he joined me on a podcast early last year. He didn’t look like a bloke on the verge of retirement at Doomben on Saturday, as he and training partner Nicholas Hahn welcomed two stakes winners back to the winner’s circle.
Simply Fly’s emphatic win in the listed Chief De Beers Quality was glowing testimony to the patience of the veteran Toowoomba trainer. Rex has never lost faith in the quirky gelding who took his record to 7 wins and 5 placings for $712,000. The son of Spirit Of Boom was reluctant to come around Centrefire at the 100m, but talented Tegan Harrison coaxed him into behaving himself. The race was over in a twinkling.
Rex and Nicholas had barely finished shaking hands with well wishers when it was time to return to the winner’s circle to greet Tycoon Evie who’d just won the Gr 3 Pam O’Neill Stakes. Not even recent cancer treatment could keep the great lady from being in attendance to watch the race named in her honour.
Tycoon Evie (Adin Thompson) gave Rex and Nick Hahn their second stakes win of the day in the Pam O'Neill Stakes - courtesy Trackside Photography.
Fate played a major hand in Simply Fly finding his way into the Rex Lipp stable. The Eureka Stud bred colt was ruled out of the yearling sales of 2019, when pre-sale X/rays revealed a hairline fracture of the lateral sesamoid bone in the off hind leg. The fracture was pinned while Eureka manager Scott McAlpine sorted out the colt’s future. He later made the decision to get a few friends together and give the colt a try under the Eureka Stud banner. Rex Lipp was interested on two counts. Spirit Of Boom had already emerged as a siring force, while the trainer was very familiar with the distaff side of the colt’s pedigree.
“To begin with I actually bought his grand-dam Air’s Precious as a yearling,” recalled the veteran trainer. “She could gallop but had recurring knee issues and didn’t make it to the track. I later won three races with her daughter Express Air including a Queensland Guineas. You can see why I was more than happy to get involved in a Spirit Of Boom colt out of that family. Originally it was a seven member syndicate which has now dwindled to three - Scott, myself and Peter Mahoney who lives in the USA.
“Somewhere along the line the pin in Simply Fly’s off hind sesamoid broke, but miraculously he has raced sound all the way through. Sound enough to win $712,000, but he’s given us a few headaches along the way. The night he won his maiden at Toowoomba two years ago, he bucked just after the start with Kenji Yoshida but still managed to win. He was unplaced in his next two runs but did plenty wrong on both occasions. He had enough ability to win his next five straight culminating in the 3YO TAB Jewel on the Coast. We knew we had a pretty good horse who was going to give us some sleepless nights.”
A month after the Jewel win, Simply Fly ran second to Ballistic Lover in a Doomben 3YO after blundering in the middle stages. Fourteen days later the quirky three year old started favourite from the inside gate in a similar race on the same track. The rails barrier was the worst place he could have drawn. He began smoothly and was about to find the box seat when he spotted a couple of seagulls flying at low altitude to his right.
He was entitled to shy away from the intruders, but decided on something more spectacular. The unpredictable Simply Fly put on a rodeo exhibition and didn’t stop bucking until the hapless Steph Thornton parted company with him. Stephanie, who’d won five races on the feisty gelding was dumped unceremoniously but happily escaped injury. It was to take Simply Fly another fourteen runs before he’d win again, but his name appeared in the stewards report in most of them. Rex takes some comfort from the fact that the immensely talented horse is slowly getting his act together.
Simply Fly (Tegan Harrison) makes it win number 7 in the Chief De Beers at Doomben - courtesy Trackside Photography.
Rex is the first to admit he was astray in his original assessment of Tycoon Evie’s likely preferred distance. “For a while in the autumn of 2021 I honestly thought she may have been a Queensland Oaks filly, after an easy win in a 1600m race at Eagle Farm,” said the trainer. “Her breeder, part owner Jeff Cullen kept reminding me that her full brother Winning Rupert was one of the fastest horses of his generation. He’s now siring very quick horses. Luckily I had a change of mind, and skipped the Oaks. I’m now certain 1600m is as far as she likes it.”
Saturday’s Pam O’Neill Stakes turned out to be a bittersweet experience for apprentice Adin Thompson who rode Tycoon Evie. The competitive spirit of the young rider was evident to punters and stewards alike, when he pushed off the fence at the 1000m and caused some inconvenience to Willow Tito. Despite making the turn four deep, Tycoon Evie forged to the front at the 200m before holding off the fast finishing Zing to score narrowly. It was Thompson’s only ride of the day, and his elation was illustrated by a celebratory gesture as the line was reached - a gesture that caused Tycoon Evie to shift abruptly and give Zing a last stride bump. The thrill of Adin’s most important win to date was soured by a $1000 fine for the winning post incident, and an improper riding charge for the mid race outwards shift. Stewards agreed to Thompson’s request for a postponement of the hearing until his master Will Hulbert can be present.
Nick Hahn and part owner/breeder Jerry Cullen with Tycoon Evie after the Pam O'Neill Stakes - courtesy Trackside Photography.
The Doomben double was a significant milestone in the Rex Lipp/Nick Hahn training partnership - the duo’s first success at stakes level since the arrangement began in the middle of last year. “Nick is a Toowoomba boy and has had an interest in racing for most of his life,” says Rex. “He learned the basics during a stint with Peter Moody in Victoria before returning to Toowoomba where he landed a job with the Michael Nolan stable. He then decided to go it alone for a short time, but quickly realised that opportunities were in short supply. I’ve turned 74 and obviously can’t manage the grind of training as I once did. I made Nick an offer to become my training partner and he jumped at the opportunity.”
Rex Lipp was born and reared on the Darling Downs and has never left. He learned about horses from his father and grandfather, who were both successful small team trainers. Early in life Rex wasn’t especially interested in a professional training career. He opted instead for a full time job at Colin McAlpine’s famous Eureka Stud at Cambooya, and stayed for twenty years. When his good mate Scott McAlpine took over the reins from his father in the late 1980’s, Rex felt the time was right to have a crack at the training business.
Rex with a Gr. 1 smile after Tinto's Queensland Oaks win 2014 - courtesy Trackside Photography.
More than thirty years on he has no idea how many winners he’s trained from his Clifford Park base. He does know that Star Shiraz and Tinto have given him Gr 1 success and he’s grateful for the many nice horses who’ve helped establish his reputation as one of Queensland’s best trainers. His very first win was with Rose Road in an Eagle Farm 3YO maiden in the early 90’s. That filly won seven of her first eleven starts and got her young trainer up and running.
The names of the following Rex Lipp trained winners will stir memories for racing fans of at least two generations. Rock ‘N’ Rage won four Brisbane races including one at stakes level. Archikeelya gave the trainer his first Weetwood Hcp success - one of 15 wins for the hardy gelding. His second Weetwood winner was Gene’s Interest who also won a Toowoomba Cup and a Rockhampton Cup. He won a total of 14 races for $542,000. Rex also won Toowoomba Cups with Director’s Special, Sir Sensible and Jussemi.
Lightly raced Tellson did a good job for the stable winning four including a stakes race in Brisbane. Rex still gets a sparkle in the eye when he reflects on the deeds of Tinto whose 7 wins and 5 placings netted $1.4 million. He brought her to Sydney for the 2015 Villiers Stakes and was unfortunate enough to strike Happy Clapper on an upward spiral. He finished second to the rising star conceding him 3kgs. In more recent times Our Beebee, Gem Of Scotland, Red Stina, and In The Genes have all been consistent flag bearers for the Lipp stable.
A close look at recent developments adds weight to the theory that Rex Lipp’s ongoing threats to retire are far from conclusive. The appointment of a training partner in Nick Hahn suggests he’s merely lightening the workload to ensure longevity. Observers say he’s never looked more focused than he did in the Doomben winners circle on Saturday - twice in fact. But here’s the clincher!
Rex and Tegan Harrison were all smiles after Simply Fly's win - courtesy Trackside Photography.
Following the round of Queensland sales in 2022, and close scrutiny of local homebreds the potential retiree has 18 yearlings on the books. Most of them have just returned to Rex’s Toowoomba property following their second preparations with the breakers.
“I’ve got a lovely So You Think filly, four Encryptions who broke in beautifully, and a cracker of a Brave Smash colt just to mention a few,” said the Darling Downs maestro. “With so many young ones to work with I’m keeping my team of racehorses down to somewhere between 20-25.”
Now I ask you. Does that sound like a bloke who’s on the brink of retirement.
(Banner image - Rex and the late Tim Bell after Tinto's Oaks win 2014 - courtesy Trackside Photography.)