McLean’s global education pays dividends

By Glenn Davis

Gold Coast trainer Stephen McLean could well be called the “I've Been Everywhere” man of racing in Queensland.

He has been training on his own for almost 12 months after a similar period in partnership with fellow Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds.

McLean hails from Bundaberg and has a wealth of experience in the racing industry.

As a teenager, he spent time working during school holidays with Mark and Denny Baker at Hallmark Stud in New Zealand before taking up a full-time role for three years after finishing school.

“I also worked for two-and-a-half years for Mick Kent in Melbourne and he suggested I should start travelling,” McLean said.

“I went to Newmarket in the United Kingdom and spent 18 months with Chris Wall and 12 months in the United States with Tom Morley.

“I was Tom’s travelling foreman and I managed to do three months at Belmont, three months in Saratoga and six months in New Orleans.”

McLean returned to Australia and spent eight months with Archie Alexander in Ballarat before a further three years in Sydney with Bjorn Baker.

He also spent 18 months with Murwillumbah trainer Matthew Dunn and a year working with Michael Freedman in Sydney prior to joining Baker’s Warwick Farm stable.

McLean is now kept busy with 35 horses on his books at the Gold Coast including 15 two-year-olds and 14 yearlings.

On Wednesday, the 34-year-old heads to Doomben in search of his second metropolitan winner with talented mare Scheherazade in the Class 4 Plate over 1200 metres.

He broke through for his maiden city winner with Eye Of The Eagle at Doomben on April 1.

McLean is optimistic his four-year-old mare can maintain her unbeaten record of three straight wins for the stable.

A daughter of Pride Of Dubai, Scheherazade is coming off a last start win in a 1200 metre Class 3 Handicap at the Sunshine Coast on May 10.

“Her last win was pretty good and I’ve got a good opinion of her,” McLean said.

“She’s pretty tough and her form suggests she’s a Saturday-class horse.

“I’d like to get her rating up more, so I can aim her for some better class races.

“This race at Doomben looks a nice race for her and she likes her races spaced.

“But, she’ll need to win to try to get into better races on a Saturday.”