Gabba curator and horse owner Dom Pelusi will be tickled pink if Australia smashes the Poms and he can jag a winner in the city this year

Meet the Gabba curator who juggles his two passions of cricket and horse racing as the hype builds towards this summer’s Ashes series.

Gabba curator Dom Pelusi at work (right) and at Ipswich with Resolute Lady (left). Pictures: Supplied

Gabba curator Dom Pelusi will be tickled pink if he can achieve two major goals this year – helping Australia smash the Poms in the second Ashes Test and cheering home his first city winner as a thoroughbred horse owner and stablehand for Brisbane trainer Jason Edwards.

Cricket and horse racing are deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of our country and 33-year-old Pelusi happens to have a “driving passion” for both sports.

He will help prepare the wicket for the pink ball day-night Test between Australia and England at the Gabba from December 4-8.

And when time permits during a gruelling summer schedule, he will also be readying gallopers for Deagon trainer Edwards while keeping a sharp eye on horses running under the banner of his syndicate Broke Lads.

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Asked what skills and lessons he could transfer as a cricket groundsman to horse racing, Pelusi said: “I guess it’s just trusting the plan.

“There are times when even wicket preparations might not go your way and it’s the same with horse racing.

“You can turn up to the races and think you’re going to have a good day and a win but it doesn’t always go to plan.

“You go back to the drawing board and just trust the process. You do it for a reason and you have to remember that at all times.”

Dom Pelusi, Lachlan Roache, Sean Bridges and Jordan Clerc at the Gabba.

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Pelusi grew up in Tenterfield, about 20km south of the Queensland border, in country NSW and wasn’t really into horse racing back then, despite his grandfather Ian Halliday being a trainer during the 1990s.

He moved to Brisbane eight years ago and developed the bug, establishing Broke Lads with a group of mates shortly after the Covid pandemic struck.

Edwards trains three horses for the syndicate – filly Resolute Lady, gelding Bodysnatcher and an unnamed Spirit Of Boom colt.

Resolute Lady (one win from six races) finished second in a 1200m race for fillies and mares at Ipswich last Thursday while Bodysnatcher will likely make his debut at Doomben on Saturday.

Kirragirl gets the better of Broke Lads syndicate runner Resolute Lady at Ipswich.

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Taylor Marshall rode Resolute Lady at Ipswich in close to the same colours as Pelusi’s granddad – tangerine with black seams and a black-and-orange quartered cap.

“My grandfather gifted me his silks so I thought it’d be something special if I could register and race in his colours,” Pelusi said.

“Resolute Lady was the horse we bought, albeit I couldn’t register his exact silks so I put a bit of a twist on it.

“I didn’t have much of an interest in horses when I was living in Tenterfield but it was something that was always in my blood.

“Once I got on the tools with Jason, I never looked back. He took me under his wing and I can’t wait to keep learning from him.”

Trainer Jason Edwards, stablehand Dom Pelusi and winning connections after a victory with Rock Ya at Eagle Farm.

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Pelusi admitted juggling his dual roles could be difficult, especially during summer when cricket dominated the Australian sporting landscape, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“In winter I work with Jase in the mornings and then leave at 6am to go to work (as a Gabba curator),” he said.

“Summer is crazy. They’re very long days but it’s self-inflicted because I’ve got a driving passion for both industries. It’s well worth it.”

So would he prefer to see the Aussies beat up the Poms at the Gabba or watch one of his horses win a big race?

“I have done one Ashes Test so it’s a bit selfish but I really want to cheer home a winner in the city,” he said.

“But in saying that, it’s always great to see Australia win at the Gabba.

“We do it (grounds keeping) for the crowd to come in and cheer the boys home. But they’re both amazing feelings so it’s very hard to split.”

Originally published as Gabba curator and horse owner Dom Pelusi will be tickled pink if Australia smashes the Poms and he can jag a winner in the city this year