The first five years of a trainer’s career are always the hardest as they try to make their name, but a horse like Overriding, which Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle found at the 2021 Adelaide Magic Millions, can make a big difference.
Young trainers are usually left to make the most of cast-offs from bigger stables or trying to find a bargain at the sales. At $35,000, that was Overriding for Doyle, who has banked the majority of her more than $300,000 in prizemoney.
Overriding can give Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle his biggest win in The Coast on home turf.Credit: Getty
“I own 95 per cent of her because I couldn’t sell her, which makes her very important,” Doyle said. “When she wins, it gives me more money to go and buy more horses. She’s good for the business.
“We have a lot more horses here because of her.
“She would be the horse I have had for the longest in my stable, and I have had her from the beginning of her career and she keeps stepping up.”
Overriding has won five of her 12 starts, including a perfect record in four runs at Newcastle as she heads to The Coast ($1600m) on her home track on Saturday.
She was Doyle’s 250th winner as a trainer last month and could join Rush Hour as his biggest winner if she can measure up in the feature race of the transferred Gosford meeting.
“I think the bigger track at Newcastle is more in her favour, and, as you can see from her form, she loves being at home,” Doyle said. “I was happy to see the meeting moved. I thought she was a chance at Gosford, but she is better hope now.
“There is enough speed from Iknowastar to give her the chance to relax, and she will be coming home late.”
The transfer of the meeting from Gosford to Newcastle means that Overriding will only have to walk from her on-course box to race for $500,000, which is an advantage that has Doyle growing in confidence despite her $14 quote with bookmakers.
“She will handle the soft track, and I have been for a walk on the track and they will be on a fresh pad of grass on the inside,” Doyle said. “I can’t see them getting more than four lanes off the fence because it is bit chewed up where they have been racing.”
The home track advantage has also resulted in the race favourite, the Kris Lees-trained Tavi Time, shortening from $3.30 to $2.70. Tavi Time has two wins from two starts at Broadmeadow.
Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou believe the wide-open spaces of Newcastle will help topweight Grebeni, which was $12 before the move but has firmed in to $7.50.
“I think the race sets up better for him on the bigger track, and he always takes a lot of improvement from his first-up run and I think the mile is where he is at his best,” Alexiou said.
“He has to give them all weight, but he has earned the weight he has got, and the way he worked on Tuesday morning made it an easy decision to run here.
“We will also take Williamsburg there, and he will love the soft track and has a good basis for this race.”
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