Club Spotlight: Surat

By Jordan Gerrans

One thing has eluded Roma trainer Ben Waldron on his annual trip to the Surat Diggers’ Race Club.

Waldron has a strong record when he makes the 80-kilometre drive from Roma to Surat, his gallopers running in the top three in 42 percent of their opportunities over the years.

However, he is yet to ever claim the Surat Diggers’ Cup and believes 2021 might just be his best chance yet.

“I have had a bit of success there over the years, I have won a few races at Surat,” Waldron said.

“I have never won the Cup, I have run second on it a few times, and I have won the Open there and a number of other races there a fair few times.”

In 2021, the Surat Diggers’ Cup will be run over 1400 metres with a purse of $20,000 on offer, as the feature race for the Club’s six-event non-TAB program this coming Saturday.

Raced on a black soil track in the Downs racing district, Waldron is sending a dual-pronged approach to win the coveted Cup this year.

With no local stables at Surat, the closest trainers and jockeys from around the region descend on the town from Roma.

Fellow Roma trainer Rebecca Kerwin, a former jockey before moving into training, described the conditions Waldron’s gallopers, and the rest of the bush contingent, will face this Saturday if they are to be successful.

“The track has a good climb in it, a hill, you sort of are going uphill from the turn and then there is a fair climb up the straight,” Kerwin said.

“The home straight is a good 300 metres or more long.

“You can lead and win there too and you can also lead and get caught late on the line by things coming from midfield and back if there is a fair bit of speed on.

“It is a good track to ride and it is a good club at Surat, they are very accommodating to anyone there.”

In-form gelding Trump Me shapes as Waldron’s best hope of scoring a breakthrough Cup later this week, winning twice from his last four starts – both being over the same distance the Cup is run over, 1400 metres.

Waldron has ridden track work since he was 15 and does to this day with his team of seven gallopers at Roma.

“Trump Me used to be up at Rockhampton and I have given him four starts for me,” Waldron said.

“They will both be good chances at Surat, 1400 metres seems to be Trump Me’s distance with a mile being a bit far for him.

“The same owners had the horse in Rocky and I have trained for them for a fair while so they sent the horse to me.”

Winning the Cup for the first time would be a significant career milestone, just like making your debut as a trainer at the track – which happened to Kerwin a few years ago.

“I had my first runner ever there at Surat and she just got beat, Lady Magic,” Kerwin said.

“It is a good day when they race, they are a good club and have done some work to the tie-up stalls to improve them.”

Kerwin, a former jockey who rides her own work, has just the one in work in her barn, with a few others out in the spelling paddock.

On the trip to Surat, Waldron says it is a manageable drive from his Roma stable, being around 80kms away, a much easier journey to manage compared to the 400–500 kms he sometimes travels to race his horses.

The committee of the Surat Diggers’ Race Club has recently seen a significant change to their structure, with long-time administrator and volunteer Donna Stewart stepping away from her official duties with the Club.

“She previously was the President but still has a hell of a lot to do with the running of the Club,” new Club Secretary Lisa Cosmo said.

“She is the backbone of the Club and still is even though she does not have the official title any more.

“She is a lifetime member of the committee but has decided to step back from the president role after doing it for a lot of years.

“If we are stuck with something, we just ring her as she knows everything and she is a good person for the club and community.”

Around 400-500 people are expected on course this Saturday.

“The club was battling a little bit so I decided to get on board and help out the community,” Cosmo said.

“On top of that, I really like horse racing, as well.”

Across the six races for Saturday, a massive 82 nominations have been declared as of Tuesday afternoon. 

Club spotlight will be a regular feature that shines a light on the unique and individual racing clubs across Queensland.