Dwyer ready to be ignited by Anemacore

By Jordan Gerrans

Having competed at the elite-level throughout his career, Caloundra’s Shaun Dwyer says a galloper such as Anemacore keeps his fire burning as he reaches veteran status in the training ranks.

The stayer-in-the-making is on a path to Melbourne in the feature spring time and will take a step on that journey when he contests the Benchmark 80 Handicap over 1820 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Anemacore was a first-up winner at Eagle Farm in late January before two more promising efforts at Doomben through the following month when he ran into the money.

Sprinter Regimental Gal handed Dwyer a couple of Group 1 titles back in 2004 and while he is not getting ahead of himself with Anemacore, he believes the five-year-old has what it takes to contend at a high level.

The 66-year-old Dwyer prepared big stables in Queensland and Victoria earlier in his tenure in the industry but says he is content with 15 in work at Caloundra these days.

“He is obviously my standout horse that I have had for a few years now,” the veteran trainer said of Anemacore.

“One of my longest and closest owners didn’t want a yearling – he wanted a stayer – and we found this fella and he has really put himself on the map.

“It is just a matter of getting him to the right races at the right stage.

“He is very promising and hopefully he will end up in Melbourne during the spring.”

Anemacore was a revelation for the Dwyer camp in his first racing preparation in late 2023, winning twice and being placed on two more occasions.

He did not live up to the hype in the early and middle stages of 2024 during his second campaign where he went four starts without saluting.

But, after a long spell through the back end of 2024, the conditioner looks like he has his gelding back in top form.

Dwyer has booked his old mate Michael Rodd for Saturday’s assignment.

The Dwyer and Rodd team have been a prolific one over the decades – combining for more than 80 victories together.

The respected trainer grew up in Mackay and prepared his team initially throughout North Queensland before stints in South East Queensland and Victoria.

He was based in Bendigo for 13 years before heading back to the Sunshine State to his current base at Caloundra in recent times.

As well as the elite-level deeds of Regimental Gal, Dwyer also competed against the best with gallopers such as Miss Leonidas and Villa Verde, among others.

“I am enjoying having the 15 horses here instead of the 150,” he said with a smile.

“That suits me, my wife and a couple of staff. I will know when the day comes to put my feet up but right now, I am enjoying what we are doing.

“When you have horses like Anemacore and Ready To Ignite here – and a couple of others – it keeps it going.

“I have had a very privileged career in racing and I have really enjoyed it.”

Dwyer still has close family and friends in the ‘Sugar City’ of Mackay and says he is keen to get back there more in the coming years.

As Dwyer remarks, Ready To Ignite is another galloper he has in his team - that like Anemacore – he has high hopes for.

Ready To Ignite was set for Saturday’s feature QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast in the three-year-old division.

After winning on debut and running credibly in the Jewel Prelude last month, Ready To Ignite was installed as fourth emergency when acceptances were declared.

Dwyer has shifted his focus with the gelding and will instead target a Class 1 Handicap at the Sunshine Coast Turf Club on Sunday over 1000 metres with Ready To Ignite.

Despite finishing seventh in the Prelude at Doomben, the son of Jungle Cat powered to the line strongly and Dwyer thought he would be competitive if he was able to sneak into the $500,000 Jewel decider.

“His last start was very good and from day one, he has shown quite a bit of ability,” the Caloundra trainer said.

“He did not have much luck in the Prelude, they hit the ground running and he got back near the tail of the field.

“If there was an unlucky horse in the race, it was him, as he ran the fastest last 200 and 400 metres, which tells us he has the ability.

“I was very encouraged the way he hit the line in his last two starts and going forward into his career, you want a horse that knows he needs to attack the line.

“He has come through that race very well and I am really happy with how he looks. It looks like the run has tightened him up a little bit.”

Ready To Ignite was a two-time trial winner before his Ipswich debut triumph over the speedy 800 metres. 

“You just need to be very careful with young horses because you want them to last for four or five years, not two years," he said. 

“We managed to get him a win first-up at Ipswich.

“He is still a work in progress, but he is learning very, very good.”

Dwyer thinks Ready To Ignite might become a Queensland Guineas horse during the 2025 winter.

He also believes maiden galloper Gagnante Enchere is not far from winning a race after going close on several occasions from eight attempts.