By Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Lockyer Waters horseman, Gavin Wright, said winning last Sunday’s seventh race at Redcliffe Paceway, was better than any leukemia treatment he has been receiving.
“I’m not speaking for my Clint Sneddon (41), who has a melanoma-related lung cancer, but I feel that winning races like this is what keeps us going. The horses are what we get up for every day and I tell you that winning-feeling is better than what any doctor can give you,” said 62-year-old Wright, who four years ago was diagnosed with a rare blood-clotting form of leukemia.
In fact, when Redcliffe Paceway contacted Wright for an interview about his latest victory with the Mat Wright-trained and Angus Garrard-driven Subtle Chay, he had just taken Sneddon for his latest check-up at Toowoomba Hospital.
“Mat, who is currently in Perth, has really stepped up since I had my heart attack four-years ago. The blood clotting caused it. Diane and I have four kids, one of which is Clint, who we have raised since he was 15 – so Sunday’s (August 11) win was a real buzz for the whole family,” Wright said.
In late 1980, Wright trained and drove his first winner – a Stormy Water mare named, Maisey May .Fast forward almost 44 year and Wright has helped his sons nail yet another Redcliffe victory, this time with a Cammibest 6-year-old bay gelding.
Wright leases Subtle Chay from his D Aguilar breeder, Don Hancock. The gelding has now won four of his 41 starts (11 placings) since making his debut at Albion Park on February 4, 2022. It was his first victory in 19 starts this season.
Garrard, who was driving Subtle Chay for the first time, managed to situate him in the one-one from his second-row nine draw, and then when given clear air in the home-straight, Subtle Chay, burst home to win easily by 3.4 metres in a personal best mile rate of 2:00:5.
Angus Garrard is again all class as he wins behind the Mat Wright trained Subtle Chay in race six at Redcliffe Paceway last Sunday night (August 11). In the photo below the duo are pictured returning to the winner’s enclosure. DAN COSTELO PHOTOS. Then below Dan’s shot the photo finish.
Subtle Chay is the last and only winner out of the 11-win Armbro Operative mare, Maheer Joy. Wright said ‘Chay’ liked Redcliffe.
“The track seems to suit the horses we train. All four of his wins have been at Redcliffe. In fact, I’d say more than half my winners over the years have been at ‘The Triangle. I love the place, but I just wish it was closer to Gatton..
“The track has been good to our family. I was actually employed by the Club to work on the track for a couple of years before I got sick. I also did a stint at Albion Park as well. ‘Chay’ is finally back in a grade where he’s competitive after winning a few early and then having to race out of his grade. The ratings hurt him. He is one of our better horses when in this mood,” Wright said.
Subtle Chay’s triumphs were on October 20, 2022; August 4, 2023; October 2, 2023; and last Sunday.
The grassroots horseman said the Wright Stable was currently working 18 horses, 12 of which were ready to race.
In fact, Wright’s green, yellow Y, and black sleeved colours could be seen seven times at Redcliffe Paceway this Sunday just gone (August 18), and it was Subtle Chay who provided the best individual result.
Again, driven by Garrard, Subtle Chay (3) finished a nose-second behind the Lola Weidemann-trained and Leonard Cain-driven, Lulu Lucifer in race one.
“He went well again because the grade suites,” Wright stressed.
Asked what some of his best horses over the years had been, Wright mentioned Allegro Queen, Aunty Frances, and Man Of Action.
“Allegro Queen was a nice little mare, who won Triads in the 1990s. Vicky Rasmussen used to drive her. The other two won about nine races each and that was rewarding because they were both giveaways,” Wright said.
“I suppose I’ve trained a few hundred winners and driven maybe 40. These days I love owning a few and helping Mat and Clint out,” he added.
Born in Brisbane and educated at Balmoral State High School, Wright left school and got a job at the Cannon Hill Saleyards in the late 1970s.
“That’s where I met a lot of harness racing people. There were fellas like Kenny Carswelll, Les Thomas, Donny Ross, and Les Porter. That’s where I made my racing contacts and some of those men are still good mates today.
“I worked there for a couple of years, and then worked at Meadow Lea Foods. Then I broke in horses for a few years for some really good trainers, and also raced a few. That was around that time got married to Diane. We moved here (Lockyer Waters) 34 years ago – the same year we got married.
“I got my licence in 1979 and I was one of the first Juniors alongside John Cremin, Johnny McMullen, and Glenn Dawson,” said Wright who is the youngest of three children (one sister and one brother).
He said he got his trotting connections through his late father, Keith.
“Dad was a truck driver and delivered cattle to the Canon Hill Sale Yards. That’s where he ran into the likes of Donny Ross Senior and company, and the passion all grew from there.”
Wright said he was given some sound advice when he first ventured into harness all those years ago.
“I remember my best friend when I was young was Tony Hanlon, and his grandfather, Lenny, once told me that if I was going to get involved in racing then I should ‘Keep myself in the best company and the horse in the worst. The old fella also told me that if I didn’t like someone then I should tell them to buy a horse with a bit of talent,” Wright said.
“I’ll never forget those words. I laughed at first, but they have stuck with me over the years,” Wright said..
The Wrights have four children – Mat, Jason, Brooke (both Emerald), and Clint; and one grandson, Oliver.
Footnote: Lockyer Waters is 129 km south-west of Redcliffe Paceway, and 93km west of Brisbane. It boasts a population of 561.
For The Record: A September 2022 I wrote about Wright’s 33-year-old son Mat (43 wins), can be viewed here:
A previous story I wrote on Clint Sneddon:
