Gelding is stable star

Well-travelled horseman Alan Pateman is back in north Queensland and has high hopes for gelding Our Boy Brett.

Trainer Alan Pateman at Ferguson Park, Gladstone Turf Club. Photo: Mike Richards.

WELL-TRAVELLED horseman Alan Pateman is back in the north and has high hopes for gelding Our Boy Brett.

Now deep into his 60s, Pateman trained a stack of winners from his Tolga base through 2019, but suddenly went missing from the north Queensland racing scene.

Pateman moved across to the Northern Territory for a job in the mines around Darwin, before the pandemic and other factors brought him back to NQ.

He has four boxes at Townsville’s Cluden Park and over the last few weeks has raced Our Girl Jacquie and Our Boy Brett (named after his two children).

On debut at Cairns’ Cannon Park earlier this month, four-year-old gelding Our Boy Brett was all the rage in the markets, backed into $2.60 at one stage.

He finished just over four lengths behind the winner over 950m, which was Trevor Rowe’s Stellamoon.

Cairns horse trainer Trevor Rowe. Picture: BRENDAN RADKE.

But, as Pateman, who has had stops in Gladstone, Wangaratta and Western Australia in his life, explained, Our Boy Brett was lucky to finish that close in the end.

“I have only got the couple of horses, but I have a fair wrap on Our Boy Brett,” Pateman said.

“I was surprised the stewards let him run that day, he hit his head in the gates and had a headache for a couple of days.

“He was dazed after the race and took a couple of days to come good after that.

“I thought he would win that day before that, but we have him in this Saturday at Townsville.”

Trainer Alan Pateman at Ferguson Park, Gladstone Turf Club. Photo: Mike Richards.

Pateman, who trained six NQ winners from just over 20 starters in 2019, is hoping the powers that be will split the Maiden Handicap (1000m) at Townsville on Saturday.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there was 26 horses nominated, with only 13 permitted to start, with a split of the race looking likely.

If Our Boy Brett can get a start, Pateman thinks he will put his best foot forward.

“I think he is a pretty good horse, but he has had a tough preparation, we have got his leg right, then he got a virus,” Pateman said.

“We will know a bit more about him after Saturday, but he has shown me plenty on the track and in jump-outs.

“He is my main one that I came back for, he is a pretty smart horse.”

Jockey Shane Pawsey at Cannon Park. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE.

Meanwhile, popular local jockey Shane Pawsey has started physiotherapy on his neck after his bad fall.

The experienced Pawsey suffered a C2 break in his neck almost four months ago, when jumping out an unraced filly at Cannon Park.

Pawsey is likely to go through a month of physiotherapy work before aiming to get a clearance to ride again by the end of next month.

Originally published as Gelding is stable star