Feature victory adds to lady luck for owner Tony Townson

By Jordan Gerrans

Lady luck was most certainly on Central Queenslander Tony Townson’s side when trainer Damien Rideout’s name flashed up on his phone last year. 

The duo have been mates for some time as the Bundaberg-based Townson had owned a galloper with the Thangool trainer in years gone by. 

Rideout was keen to purchase a mare from the stable of leading horseman Kris Lees that he liked the look of from his research online. 

And, he knew the right man to try and sell a few shares to if he was able to purchase the promising galloper. 

Rideout nabbed Lady Townson for $27,500 and quickly sold a 45% share in the mare to his mate - Tony Townson.

It is by complete coincidence that Tony eventually ended up owning a horse that sports his surname in her racing moniker.

As she has now won four races for the Rideout team following her feature triumph at Barcaldine on Sunday, Townson is a happy man. 

“He is a good mate of mine and we play lawn bowls together,” Rideout said of Townson. 

“When I bought the horse, I thought of him because he has had a horse with me in the past named Lady Sheilack.

“I offered him some shares in her and he jumped at it. He did follow the horse when Kris had her and backed her a few times in the starts where she won for him.

“He knew the horse quite well when I rang him about buying in.”

Lady Townson has been racing well on the provincial and country circuit around CQ since she arrived with Rideout in the middle of last year. 

The hobby trainer knew he was chucking his five-year-old mare in the deep end by heading to Barcaldine on Saturday for the annual Pat Ogden Memorial Tree of Knowledge Cup. 

The event is one of the highlights on the Central West’s racing calendar every year and boasts tasty prize money, enticing the Thangool-based stable to make the long trip out west. 

Rideout’s wife Jade – who owns a chunk of Lady Townson – and the stable’s apprentice Amie Meissner took the mare out to Barcaldine as the trainer remained at their stable. 

Rideout was quick to praise the efforts of Jade and Meissner for making the long journey a successful one. 

Ridden by emerging youngster Julie Busuttin, Lady Townson upset the locals and walked away with the lion's share of the $26,000 on offer. 

“She has been racing well and a mile suited her down to the ground on Saturday,” the trainer said.

“The biggest thing for me was the step up to open company as she was only a Class 5 horse until she won that race on Saturday and is now a Class 6.

“Her handicap rating had got up to 71 and she was getting hard to place as she was getting too much weight in Benchmark 60s and 65s, which she had been winning.

“I thought I would have to step her up to open company to see if she could match it with them and she did with the light weight.

“There were a few very good open company horses in that race on Saturday so for us to travel out that far and knock them off – it was a good effort.”

Rideout lauded the efforts of teenage apprentice Busuttin who has ridden the mare in her last two starts. 

“She has found her old form, seeing as she won four for our stable,” Rideout said of Lady Townson. 

On top of preparing his team of horses, Rideout works in the cattle industry for a day job. 

The Rideout stable are enjoying a strong 2045-25 campaign, boasting a 14% strike-rate which is their best mark since the 2016-17 season.

The Pat Ogden Memorial Tree of Knowledge Cup also doubled as a heat of the Outback Racing Showcase series.

The ORS series consists of six heats over the next month before a $30,000 Final at McKinlay in late June.

The annual ORS is a popular series in the bush.

Rideout said he would nominate Lady Townson for the decider at McKinlay but is unlikely to start the mare in the race as she is coming to the end of her preparation.

He is likely to bring her back for a tilt at the Country Cups Challenge series later in 2025.

Gregory Downs also hosted an ORS series heat on Saturday with Shryn Royes’ Mr Metrics landing the prize.