Townsville vet ends long winning drought

By Jordan Gerrans

Townsville’s Margaret Preston has helped rehabilitate numerous racehorses in North Queensland over the decades, so she was due a slice of her own luck.

Preston is a hobby trainer while also working full-time as a veterinarian in the area.

Working a 60-hour week on top of managing her small team of horses is commonplace for the 65-year-old.

While she only dabbles with a few horses, Preston had not prepared a winner since the 2019-20 campaign before Monday’s meeting at Cluden Park.

Her previous triumph came with Dalakanshe at Home Hill.

The local horsewoman ended her long drought when Goncalo led all the way to claim the opening event in Townsville over 1609 metres.

“It is a relief as he's hard work,” she said of Goncalo.

“He's not a quiet horse and he's hard to deal with. So, it's been hard work with him. I have had him from the beginning, from a yearling.

“I normally break in my own. This horse was too good for me, so I actually had to get someone else to break him in because he was a handful from the beginning.

“I got him as a yearling. He was passed in at the Magic Millions. He just went through bloodstock sales and I picked him up for the right money.

“He’s four, but he’s had a lot of temperament problems.”

As Preston notes, Goncalo has been a labour of love for the hard-working vet and she was thrilled to see him finally break through.

The son of Jungle Cat had been to the races on 14 occasions before finally landing a blow on Monday afternoon as he went on to score by more than two lengths in a convincing performance.

For a maiden runner, who likes to get over a trip, it can be hard to find suitable races in the north of the Sunshine State.

Preston was glad to see her four-year-old gelding finally find a winnable race to advance from maiden grade.

She believes he can get up to 2000 metres and beyond.

“Yes and even the mile's too short for him, really,” she said.

“He'd love a bit longer than that. He likes to lead. 

"That's where he's happiest and I thought he was fit enough to hold on this time.

“A couple of the other starts he had, I knew he wasn't fit enough to finish the race and I was just hoping he'd snag a place.

“I knew he was fit enough to keep going this time and he could have done another lap at that pace, to be honest.

“That's why I said the distance would be much better for him.

“He’s definitely improving, but we just have to try to find another longer race for him.”

Preston prepares a small team of three with Goncalo’s stablemate Webs also facing the starter at Cluden Park on Monday.

Webs is also a maiden runner after 21 attempts. The mare finished a touch over four lengths behind the winner on Monday over 1000 metres.

She is also working with two-year-old Bonnie Miss Lottie, who is yet to make her raceday debut.

While Goncalo’s result on Monday ended a lengthy winning drought for the stable, it was even longer since Preston has claimed a triumph at the home of racing in Townsville – Cluden Park.

It was her first victory on the track since Exaggeration won in 2014.

“I definitely needed that one. It’s been too long,” Preston said.

“It’s well and truly a hobby for me these days. I still work 60 hours a week in my real job.”

In regard to her day job, Preston is a private vet that travels around the Townsville area looking after animals, including racehorses for other trainers.

She has worked in the role across North Queensland for almost three decades.