Trainer Taylor Connor finds her Romeo

By Jordan Gerrans

Youthful North Queensland trainer Taylor Connor is eager to add to her winning tally after finally getting the monkey off her back at Cluden Park on Sunday afternoon. 

Taylor is the daughter of former NQ trainer Matt and has been preparing her own small stable at Reid River since August of 2023. 

The 27-year-old has been chasing her first winner for almost two years and despite going close on several occasions, the breakthrough victory did not come until Sunday’s races on her local track. 

Taylor had prepared five second-place finishers as well as two others who placed third before finally landing the main prize on Sunday. 

It was former Victorian galloper Goodnight Romeo who handed Taylor her maiden triumph as a trainer over 1400 metres.

“It was a great feeling to win the race but at the same time, I was still shocked,” Taylor said.

Top regional hoop Ashley Butler did the steering of Goodnight Romeo as the four-year-old led into the straight and was able to kick strongly in the concluding stages. 

 “They tested him a fair bit in that race and I had my fingers crossed that he didn’t stop in the home straight,” Taylor said.

“He won pretty good in the end, I thought.

“Ash rode him an absolute treat on Sunday and I have had a lot of great support from other jockeys getting him there.

“In his previous trials and jump-outs, he did a lot better when he had the fence to follow and he was able to do that on Sunday.”

Butler was “Johnny-on-the-spot” on Sunday as local hoop Graham Kliese had done much of the early work on Goodnight Romeo but had already taken another ride in the race and couldn’t partner Taylor’s galloper. 

Back in 2022, after more than a decade out of the NQ training ranks, it took just a gentle push by his horse-keen daughter for Matt to take out his licence again.

It was Matt's racing enthusiast daughter – Taylor – who urged the industry veteran back into the game.

After collecting almost 60 winners across the Sunshine State earlier in his life, Matt had a couple of starters in his own name in 2022 and 2023 before stepping back and handing the reins to his daughter. 

"It is enjoyable, especially when you have your daughter involved, like I do now," Matt said at the time. 

"She is the one that got the racing bug and got me excited to do it all again. It is great to do it together."

Taylor says her father is always there to lend a hand, but he has taken a step back from day-to-day stable duties as his daughter has led the team into the future. 

Taylor also spent time working with leading local conditioner Georgie Holt before taking out her own training ticket. 

“I always wanted to be able to make my own decisions,” Taylor said.

“My dad is probably my biggest supporter, but he is behind the scenes these days and does not get too involved unless I ask him.

“He wants me to make the decisions as it is my turn to train, he says, and he has had his time. 

“But, he is always at the races with me and will help me with the horses if I have to work late or something like that.”

Matt was on hand on Sunday to celebrate the win with his fledgling trainer daughter. 

The Connor clan train at Reid River which is on the way to Charters Towers just outside of Townsville. 

They head into Cluden Park most mornings and Taylor was quick to praise Kliese and all the jockeys who had helped her get to her maiden winner on Sunday. 

The gelding started his racing journey in Victoria with the Hayes camp and has most certainly been a work-in-progress for the young horsewoman.

“He has a been a slow process as a horse,” she said.

“I got him up from Victoria in beautiful condition, he was just very immature. He went straight out for a spell and then he came back in for a bit, before going back out.

“We had jump-outs and trials then before he went shin sore, so he went back out again.

“He has very patient owners which has been really good.”

As well as Goodnight Romeo, Taylor also has Spring's Gift in her stable of two. 

Spring's Gift is yet to salute in 20 career efforts but after placing in her last two starts, Taylor is hopeful a victory isn’t far away.