Team Geran spurred on to Toowoomba Cup glory

By Andrew Smith

Kylie Geran usually prefers to let her co-trainer do most of the talking when it comes to interviews in the lead up to race days and victories at the track.

But when it comes to speaking about that fellow conditioner, who is also her son Corey, she is more than happy to express her pride in what he has achieved.

The mother-and-son training partnership will be looking to claim their first Toowoomba Cup with two-time runner up Nikau Spur at Saturday’s famous race day at Clifford Park.

Kylie has been training for 15 seasons, with her husband Gary riding on race day for the stable during that time.

She has only been working in tandem with Corey since the 2019/20 season, with the pair regularly finishing in or around the top 10 of the provincial and country circuit premierships during that time.

The 54-year-old said sharing the responsibilities of running the Toowoomba-based stable had been the key to the duo’s success.

“It's good at times…we definitely have our moments,” Kylie said with a laugh.

“To make the partnership work, some take a step back and some take a step forward, and everything works well.

“We all have different things that we do and we have different ways that we do things, but it all works out in the end.

“Between us all and our knowledge, he has new knowledge, we have old knowledge - together, it all works.”

Corey kicked off his training career after working as a foreman for Melbourne Cup winners John Symons and Sheila Laxon at Caloundra.

He was living at the Sunshine Coast while attending university and studying a dual business and law degree.

The 29-year-old decided to then become involved in training full-time, entering the partnership with his mother six season ago.

Kylie became slightly emotional when speaking about her pride in seeing her son hone his craft in the caper, who had gone against some family advice to follow his passion.

“Developing as a trainer, it makes me very proud, because he's very good at what he does,” Kylie said.

“He studied law, and wasn't happy, and he just wanted to train racehorses, which we kind of said, ‘don't.’

“But I'm glad he did because he enjoys it, and it's a great life and he places his horses right and he knows his job 100 per cent.

“Just seeing him succeed and being able to help - as parents, you love to help your kids succeed.”

Corey echoed the sentiments of Kylie when asked what the key had been to the successful partnership.

“I’ve learnt heaps - it's always good to work together and obviously Mum and Dad have been doing it for a long time, and we've built everything up together,” Corey said.

“When you work in a team, it’s good because it alleviates the pressure of just being solely on one person.

“I think it achieves better results when you've got a decent team to work with, rather than just being a one-man band.

“There’s things that Mum's good at that I'm not so good at, and vice-versa – so I think that’s probably the best part of it is picking up on things, and obviously the support when you need it.”

It is one of the best weeks on the calendar for the Geran stable with their home track taking centre stage hosting the Toowoomba Cup and time-honoured Weetwood Handicap.

Taking home the coveted Cup would be a dream come true for Kylie as she looks to etch her name in the history books next to her aunt and former trainer Carmel Richardson.

Training alongside her father Les Richardson, Carmel landed the 1981 and 1982 Cups with Odd Spot.

She then became the first woman to complete the Toowoomba Cup-Weetwood double with Tod Minor and Lord Woden in 1985

It is coveted family history that is not lost on Team Geran.

“Weeks like these is what we sort of work for all year round when you are getting up to your top-level races,” Kylie said.

“More important for me because it's a family tradition – my aunty’s won the Weetwood and Toowoomba Cups and it just makes you proud to be able to have runners.

“It'd be very emotional, but the Cup is just something that I think we will all dream to win.

“It's a hard race to win but it'd be very special.”

The day’s significance also hits home for the junior Geran, with the prospect of a hometown victory providing plenty of encouragement.

“It's always a really good week up here, something we look forward to sort of every year,” Corey said.

“The Weetwood and Toowoomba Cup have been races that we target - they're obviously hard to win, but being in your hometown is always going to be something that you want to achieve.

“We've been trying and we've had runners in the Toowoomba Cup for the last four years consecutively now and we've been runner up the last two.

“Winning cups has always been a bit of a thrill for me and thrill for us, and the hometown Cup is one we're yet to check off, so it would mean a lot.”

Leading the charge over the 2000m Cup trip will be stable star Nikau Spur.

The gelding finished second behind Military Gambler in 2023, before coming up just short again behind Red Wave in the 2024 edition.

The nine-year old took out the Queensland Cup in October at Eagle Farm and November’s Beauford Stakes in Newcastle, and was crowned the Toowoomba Horse of the Year.

Corey said the recent results had Nikau Spur primed to make it third time lucky in 2025.

“Yeah we are pretty confident - he's getting older, and it's been bittersweet the last couple of years with him, because he's gone so good, and he's been such a good horse for us,” Corey said.

“You can't be disappointed running second in a race like that, but at the same time last year, when we ran second, it was like ‘not again.’

“Look I wouldn't be disappointed if we run second again this year, because it's still a good effort to do so.

“But he deserves to win it, and hopefully he can stick his nose out.”

Nikau Spur was rated as a $23 chance as of Thursday morning, and will jump from barrier 12 with Corey Bayliss in the saddle.

Regardless of Saturday’s result, a Queensland Cup defence is also on the cards for the galloper in a few weeks’ time.

The stable also has Marenaro and Connecticut as emergencies for the Toowoomba Cup, while Jack Be Lucky is also listed as an emergency for the Weetwood Handicap.

Our Magnus and Last Chance Saloon will also fly the flag for the stable at Clifford Park.

“Our Magnus loves running seconds, but his prep is nice – he ran second the other day in the Stathi Katsidis Memorial Race here,” Corey said.

“He’s just another horse that's been ultra-consistent his whole prep and his whole career with us really.

“Last Chance Saloon has also been going really well for us as well - he'll take part in the 1300 metre Class Six race, and should be very competitive as well.”