In his heart Marc Quinn thought lightly raced Bomarea had a massive chance in Saturday’s 1000m TAB Highway and wasn’t afraid to say so in a couple of media interviews late last week. He based his prediction on the sizzling time his filly had recorded in winning a Cl 1 at Muswellbrook on September 12th. “At first I was probably slightly disappointed that she’d only just scrambled in from Sightseer, but when they put the time up it was a different story,” said the Port Macquarie trainer. “She ran 56.32 for the 1000m which was just a blink outside the track record. It was her first outing in four months, and she was never better than three horses off the fence. In recent weeks Sightseer has confirmed the form by winning races at Muswellbrook and Tamworth.
“We were very concerned two days after Bomarea’s Muswellbrook win when she came up with a virus. The vets recommended ten quiet days in the stable while treatment was administered, and then we turned her out for a further eighteen days. She was over it in no time, and we were able to get her back into work with a degree of caution. She quickly regained fitness although a good hit out was necessary before she could go to the races. We took her to the Tuncurry/Forster meeting on Monday (Dec 11th) where she was never out of second gear to win a 1000m open trial. The filly came out of the trial so well it was an easy decision to accept for Saturday’s TAB Highway.”
Marc gave some consideration to using a claiming apprentice on Bomorea at Royal Randwick but opted to retain Mikayla Weir who’d ridden the filly in the Muswellbrook win and in the Tuncurry trial. Mikayla had the filly away on terms with the field and allowed her to use her natural speed to cross to the fence at the end of 200m. The jockey didn’t move on the free running filly until they topped the rise where the race was as good as over. Despite running a couple of very fast 200m “splits” before the hometurn, Bomarea was able to produce a very strong kick which put her three lengths in front of Sir Ming and Scoffa at the 200m. Although feeling the pinch in the dying stages she comfortably held Florino and Acappella Sun to win by a decisive margin. Perhaps her inexperience showed as she ducked towards the fence when Mikayla gave her a casual left handed “flick” at the 200m, but she quickly straightened when the talented rider pulled the whip through to the right hand.
Four starts for three wins! The speedy Inglis HTBA Sale graduate ran them off their feet in the TAB Highway - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
On a day when very few horses made ground from rearward positions at Randwick, it’s interesting to note that three of the ten winners led throughout, while two raced outside the leader. Three winners box seated in third place to the turn, while Kapakiri and Grebeni were better than midfield in their respective races. From limited runners in the regular TAB Highway races, Marc Quinn has now posted four wins. His first was with the consistent Cogliere in 2017 with Andrew Adkins in the saddle. He gave a young Robbie Dolan one of his early Australian winners when Mina Harker won an 1800m Highway in October 2018. In June of 2019 he produced Gumshoe to win over 1200m at Randwick with Jenny Duggan on board. Bomarea gave Marc a quartet of Highways on Saturday.
Like so many trainers in the north and north west region Marc acknowledges the talents of hard working jockey Mikayla Weir. Based at Jerry’s Plains in the Hunter Valley, Mikayla logs an enormous number of miles to honour commitments at many distant meetings. Last week is a perfect example. On Tuesday December 12th she notched a winner and three placings from seven rides at Tamworth. Last Friday she made the long trek to Warren where her five rides failed to produce a winner. Nobody was surprised when she arrived early at Randwick for her richly deserved win on Bomarea.
Perhaps there was some surprise registered when she rolled into Coonamble for two rides on Sunday. Both were for the Connie Greig stable and one of them managed a third placing. As if she needed the practice, the indefatigable Ms Weir steered three unplaced horses around the Kempsey track on Monday. Whether she admitted it or not Mikayla must have been feeling the pinch by the time she unsaddled the last of four rides at Scone on Tuesday. When it comes to work ethic this young lady is a veritable Group 1 performer.
Mikayla's high five after Bomarea's win said it all! - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Marc Quinn vividly recalls a conversation he had with respected bloodstock agent Merrick Staunton shortly before the 2020 Inglis HTBA Sale at Riverside. Aware that Merrick is across most yearlings offered for sale around Australia each year, Marc simply asked him to recommend a likely type in the designated price range. Merrick assured him the Dissident filly out of Sound Advice boasted a respectable pedigree and couldn’t be faulted as a type. “Dissident hadn’t set the world on fire but he is by Sebring and had been a terrific performer for Peter Moody with five Group 1 wins,” said Marc. “The filly was out of a winning mare by Fastnet Rock and her grand dam was Sarah Vee who’d won a stakes race in NZ.
“I was actually on the phone to an Inglis rep when she came into the ring, not really knowing what to expect. The first bid was $5000, we fired in an offer at $6000 and to my surprise she was knocked down to me. I didn’t set eyes on the filly for four months. She went straight from Riverside to Tamworth where she was broken in by Luke Morgan. Following a brief spell in Tamworth she had some pre-training with Luke, before coming to us at Port Macquarie. It wasn’t long before an ownership group was formulated which includes a couple of small syndicates. A good number of school teachers are involved in the filly. They’ve enjoyed a wonderful ride so far.”
Handled patiently by Marc, Bomarea didn’t debut until April of this year when she won at Port Macquarie with Jenny Duggan in the saddle. By the time she got to the Inglis 2YO Challenge at Scone twenty six days later, the filly had been in work for quite some time and was showing tell-tale signs of an impending winter coat. “In hindsight she was probably coming to the end of it, but she was as bright as a button and we elected to run. She was never on the track from a wide gate, and did a good job to finish fifth only 3.7 lengths behind Love Shuck. I couldn’t wait to get her into the paddock. You know the story from there, two starts for two wins and more to come.”
The margin was scant when Bomarea beat Sightseer at Muswellbrook but the race time was sizzling - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
If pedigree counts for anything Marc Quinn was always a strong chance of pursuing a career in racing. He learned the fundamentals at an early age from his late father Pat, who for many years had the respect of all sections of the industry. Pat trained with great success in his own right and enjoyed the support and trust of many high profile owners in the fields of breaking and pre-training. At one point he was invited to put his training career on hold to head up the burgeoning breaking and pre-training arm of Jack and Bob Ingham’s famous Belmont Park operation at North Richmond.
Ever smiling Pat Quinn with his apprentice Allan Chau after a Randwick win with Silk And Money 27/05/2006 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
It’s interesting to note that Marc’s mother Gail was the twin sister of former successful jockey Gary Smallwood who rode many Sydney winners during his long association with Rosehill trainer Bert Lyell. Pat Quinn was also a long time member of the Lyell team. Marc was sixteen years old and helping out at his father’s Rosehill stables when tempted by an offer to join the electrical trade. Before committing to a future in that industry, he opted for a two year course at the C.B. Alexander Agricultural College (now known as Tocal College) at Paterson in the Hunter Valley.
Year 1 dealt largely with the study of smaller animals. In Year 2 Marc concentrated on equine husbandry and by the end of the course there was little doubt about his likely career path. He gained a high distinction in his final examinations before seeking experience on some of the nearby Hunter Valley Studs. This led him to an exciting overseas trip and a six months stint with legendary Irish trainer Dermot Weld whose reputation in Australia was sealed by Melbourne Cup wins with Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle.
On returning to Australia Marc settled into a routine as a professional horseman beginning as assistant to his father at the Rosehill stables. He continued in that role when Pat relocated to Belmont Park, all the while gaining valuable experience in training, breaking and pre-training. He later grabbed the opportunity to spend some time in a foreman’s role under John Hawkes at Ingham’s Crown Lodge at Warwick Farm. Next stop was the famous Heytesbury Stud in WA where he spent some fourteen months pre-training, breaking in and assisting in the preparation of racehorses. Marc then moved to Port Macquarie where his father had set up shop as a commercial trainer and was already making his presence felt. He actually kicked off his own training involvement during this stay and dabbled with a few horses while assisting his dad.
Marc Quinn at Randwick after a win by Gumshoe in 2019 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
By this time his sister Tracy had married Tracey Bartley who was rapidly establishing himself in the training ranks from a Mudgee base. Still unable to quell the temptation of a new challenge, Marc accepted his brother-in-law’s invitation to join the team. He followed Tracey to Hawkesbury when the former jockey was offered a private training role by emerging new owner Richard Johnson. Within weeks Bartley was missing the rural life and opted to return to Mudgee but not before giving his brother-in-law a glowing recommendation to Richard Johnson. And so, Marc Quinn would spend a valuable two years at the impressive Hawkesbury barn delivering a number of provincial and country winners for his new boss.
Marc and his family suffered the cruelest of blows in August of 2009 when Pat Quinn, at just 63 years of age was involved in a freakish accident at a Canterbury midweek meeting. He was jammed against a side rail by a horse with the bitterly ironic name of Insensitive. The respected horseman was unconscious when placed into the ambulance and in cardiac arrest during the trip to St George Hospital. Pat didn’t survive that short journey. The grief experienced by the racing community was genuine and prolonged. If Pat had made an enemy in his short time among us, that enemy has not yet appeared and most assuredly never will.
Marc returned immediately to Port Macquarie to take over the training of the handy team his dad had accumulated in the year or so before his tragic and untimely passing. Marc has continued on to build his own business based on the legacy established by his father over many years - hard work, integrity and honest client relations. There’s little doubt his dad would be intensely proud of the job he’s done.
Cogliere (Andrew Adkins) gives Marc the first of his four TAB Highways 14/01/2017 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Few realised that Marc quietly dedicated Bomarea’s win on Saturday to the memory of his late maternal grandmother Olga Smallwood who’d passed away only six days earlier at the remarkable age of 94. Olga slipped away peacefully at home in Port Macquarie where she was being cared for by her daughter, Marc’s wonderful mum Gail.
Not only was Olga intensely interested in the racing achievements of Marc and Tracey Bartley, she was also enjoying her small involvement in the ownership of handy mare Agirlsbestfriend, winner of three races so far including one spectacular win at Coffs Harbour. Olga was included in the ownership when the filly was offered by syndicator Steve Vardy. Heartfelt sympathies go to Gail, Marc, Tracy and Craig all of whom will be watching closely when Agirlsbestfriend returns to racing at any time now. With Olga’s help she might reproduce the whirlwind finish that created quite a buzz at Coffs Harbour this time last year.
Marc and his wife Debra are happily ensconced in the ever developing coastal town. He and fellow trainer Robert Agnew currently share the on course stables previously occupied by the recently retired Jenny Graham. The enterprising Debra is busy running her own small courier business in Port Macquarie and surrounding districts. As far as horse numbers are concerned Marc rarely gets into the double figure bracket. Right at the moment he has only seven on the team and would welcome the opportunity to fill a handful of spare boxes. It’s a comforting feeling to know that one of the seven is a last start Randwick winner with truckloads of potential.
(Banner image - Steve Hart's ground level shot as Bomarea holds out Florino in the TAB Highway - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)