Mother and daughter searching for Stampede glory

By Glenn Davis

The riding days for Mackay’s Jade Doolan are well and truly over but her new career as a trainer for the second time could be just beginning.

Doolan is the partner of country horseman John Manzelmann and is hoping to pull off the biggest win of her fledgling career with Your Too Good in the Country Stampede Final over 1110 metres at Doomben on Saturday.

The 36-year-old has only had 11 starters for one win in her second stint as a trainer which followed a riding career cut short by a barrier trial mishap at Atherton in North Queensland two years ago.

“It happened on December 9, so it will be nearly two years ago to the day come Stampede day," Doolan said.

Doolan won several races when she trained for the first time before taking out her jockeys’ licence.

“I had 10 winners when I trained the first time around before becoming a jockey and I’ve only been back training the second time since September,” Doolan said.

“I’ve only got four horses in work and I’ve had a winner.”

Doolan races Your Too Good with her mother Vivienne and it will be a dream come true if the pair share the spoils of victory in the Country Stampede Final.

A former veterinary nurse before her career in the saddle, Doolan is a daughter of former Cairns Cup-winning trainer, the late George Doolan who died of cancer a decade ago.

George Doolan was a highly successful trainer in North Queensland and won a Cairns Cup with Varmint.

“I’ve still got Varmint and he’s 28 now,” Doolan said.

“Mum used to follow me riding after Dad passed away and when I got hurt, we were both down in the dumps, so she suggested we buy a horse together.

“I got Your Too Good for $8,500 off Stuart Kendrick at Caloundra and she’s been a very good buy.

“She won her first three starts for us when John (Manzelmann) trained her and she’s had a win and two placings from five starts since I started training her.”

Your Too Good – a Tahlia Fenlon mount - booked her spot in the Country Stampede Final with her qualifying win at Cloncurry on October 10.

The seven-year-old daughter of Your Song finished sixth to the Ricky Vale-trained Master Montaro in a 1200 metre Open Handicap at Mackay on November 11.

“She’s drawn terrible and I would have liked a better draw and I hoping she gets a cart up,” Doolan said.

“She’s a genuine bush horse who tries her guts out and just to qualify for this race has been a big thrill.

“It’ll be even bigger if she can win.”