Wright's stayer made of the right stuff

By Jordan Gerrans

The carnival of 2025 has already been one for the history books of Kiwi horseman Greg Wright and he is keen to see if it can go to another level again at Caloundra on Saturday afternoon.

Based at Lockyer, and training out of the Gatton track, Wright grabbed the biggest victory of his training career at Ipswich earlier this month when The Right Way scored in the Winter Provincial Stayers Final Benchmark 78 Handicap over 2500 metres. 

It was Wright’s first Saturday city victory since he relocated to Australia five years ago and largest win of his tenure in the sport in terms of prizemoney. 

The Ipswich event offered a purse of $120,000. 

The 55-year-old Wright is now targeting Saturday’s Listed Caloundra Cup with his stayer which offers a prize pool of $300,000.

“He has come through it really well,” Wright said.

“He is as bright as a button.

“It is obviously a big step-up in class compared to what he just raced in but then again, he will go to the bottom of the weights.

“He was a nose off Manzoice five starts ago who came out and won on Saturday.

“That will hold him in pretty good stead because the horses that have been beating him on Saturdays in town, they have been running well elsewhere, as well.

“He is up to them if he is on the bottom weight and they are carrying a bit. I think he should be competitive and there is only one way to find out.”

It has been a slow burn in Australia for the New Zealander, but he is starting to taste the fruits of his labour. 

The family is a long-time training clan across the ditch with Wright’s mother Pauline putting the name up in lights many moons ago. 

Pauline Wright trained Polly Porter to win the Group 1 George Adams Handicap and Anniversary Handicap way back in 1979.

The family will often use ‘PP’ in horses' names as a nod to Polly Porter as their foundation broodmare.

They sent Picka Plum over to Australia for Paul Jenkins to train in 2019 and the galloper won five on the trot at one stage. 

The Lockyer-based conditioner had long considered a move to Queensland. 

“We didn’t have any infrastructure set up and most of the horses we brought over were unraced,” he said over the relocation some five years ago.

“The first year we didn’t do a lot because we were busy setting up the property and educating horses that we brought over.

“My father had been at me for decades to come to Australia because the racing is so much stronger here.

“We have a track at our place, but we will use the Gatton track, as well.”

Leading city apprentice Emily Lang has struck up a close bond with The Right Way and was in the seat on Ipswich Cup day. 

She has ridden him on four occasions and is yet to finish outside the money. 

She will retain the ride for Saturday and was quick to praise the Wrights' training efforts following his win earlier this month. 

“I’m so happy for the Wright family. They do a great job training him. He’s an ultimate little stayer, isn’t he?,” Lang said. 

“He looks like a real stayer and he was so tough today with the 60-kilos on his back. Good, strong tempo but he feels like he travels so strong underneath me.

“You don’t really feel like you’re going that quick at all.”

Wright said he was keen to book Lang for Saturday’s event and help her in her premiership battle with Angela Jones which is likely to go down to the wire. 

The Right Way has been the stable’s flag bearer in recent years and has won on eight occasions as well as nine minor efforts from 27 race day appearances.

As well as The Right Way, the barn has also tasted success with Lonesome Soul, Tavieslass and Alert And Ready, among others. 

The Right Way ran in the Winter Provincial Stayers Final on Ipswich Cup day last year where he was beaten by a tick over three lengths and finished eighth. 

The trainer feels the five-year-old gelding was much better placed as a more seasoned campaigner in 2025.

“We targeted that race after gradually progressing him through to longer races,” he said.

“When we saw it was worth so much money against comparably lower rated horses, he probably just came into it a bit too early as he had only had one start past 2000 metres last year.

“He is definitely a bigger and stronger horse this year.

“To lump 60kg from the outside barrier and manage to hold on and win, it was fantastic.”

Wright has six gallopers in work.