By Jordan Gerrans
Rookie trainer Albert Mules is hopeful his magic touch of producing winners can continue when he welcomes a crop of youngsters into his stable in the near future.
The Mackay-based Mules has enjoyed a stellar start to his time as an officially licensed trainer.
From just 21 starters, Mules has produced eight victories and four minor placings after being approved to prepare gallopers in November of last year.
The majority of that success has come through mare Cabalo Escuro.
The six-year-old bay was rewarded as the Provincial Horse of the Year in the Sunshine State last season on Sunday night at the 2022 TAB Queensland Thoroughbred Awards in Brisbane.
Nearing 60 years of age, Mules has now turned his attention to a new batch of youngsters in his team, while also looking for more feature success with his star mare.
“Hopefully in the next month or so we will have a few new babies in the place, some well-bred ones,” Mules said.
“Hopefully we can have some success with them and see what happens next year.”
It was a dream inaugural season for Mules as a trainer, with his top mare winning seven races, including the rich Mackay Newmarket Handicap.
While Mules has only been officially licensed as a trainer since November, he has been around the game for much of his life, as has his family.
While he did not ride in races, he started an apprenticeship many decades ago in Brisbane, riding in trials and track work, but his weight got the best of him before he made his race riding debut.
He has been blown away with the All Too Hard mare’s results.
“When we first bought her, we thought we would win a few races with her,” Mules said.
“We did not expect anything like this, this has just blown me away.
“She has just got stronger and stronger and hopefully she can come back and do the same thing again.”
Cabalo Escuro won her first three starts after transferring to the Mules yard.
He then set her towards the Mackay Newmarket and Townsville’s Cleveland Bay Handicap.
“We got one of the two, so that isn’t too bad,” Mules said with a laugh.
Mules was one of several participants from the provincial and country areas in the Sunshine State who were awarded on Sunday night.
“Regional Queensland was in the spotlight at these awards,” Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell said.
“We had award winners from right around the state, all the way up to Central and North Queensland, and the remote outback, as well.”
Our Ariana – a former Peter Fleming galloper – is another horse Mules has trained to a victory in his short career.