Toowoomba Weetwood Handicap legend Kevin ‘Weety’ Kemp makes bold call ahead of showpiece event

Not many trainers can say they have a nickname after a race because they have won it so many times, but Kevin Kemp is an exception and says it is a cut and dry affair at Toowoomba on Saturday.

Toowoomba trainer Kevin Kemp has won the Weetwood Handicap four times. Picture: News Corp Australia.

Weetwood Handicap legend Kevin Kemp believes Saturday’s edition of the famous race will be fought out by the two favourites and has declared trainers Tony Sears and Tony Gollan are one day a chance of breaking his record.

Not many trainers can say they have a nickname after a particular race, but Kemp can, with many in racing simply referring to him as “Weety” in a nod to his four victories in the Toowoomba classic.

Kemp, a former taxi driver, has Ovidius in the feature on Saturday, but is likely to scratch from a wide barrier and says he will focus his attention on trying to win his first Toowoomba Cup on the same day.

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The dry-witted Kemp says he expects either Sears or Gollan to claw back a win on his Weetwood record on Saturday.

“I have won four times, I am equal most with another fella, but unfortunately he died, so he will never beat me,” he said.

“These young blokes like Gollan and Sears, they are coming up behind me.

“I reckon one of them will win this one, Hidden Wealth and Yellow Brick are the two horses that can win.

All That Pizzazz landed Tony Gollan’s first Weetwood last year. Picture: Grant Peters — Trackside Photography.

“Yellow Brick drew a soft gate, those last two runs of his were enormous.

“He has been away and got a bit crook, but if he is half as good as what he is, I think he will be very hard to beat.”

Kemp first took out his trainers license in 1978 and has been a stalwart of Toowoomba racing.

On Saturday, he will look to land his first local Cup, with what he hopes will be a two-pronged attack should first emergency Artful Girl make her way into the field.

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“I haven’t won a Cup yet, I haven’t had many runners in it to be fair,” he said.

“I hope Artful Girl can get a run as first emergency and old Linthorpe (Lad) struck form the other day in a nice race.

“The mare (Artful Girl) if she gets a run, her form has been really good.

“We know with those mares, when they are hot, they are hot.”

Originally published as Toowoomba Weetwood Handicap legend Kevin ‘Weety’ Kemp makes bold call ahead of showpiece event