Toowoomba Pascoe stable on the up

By Jordan Gerrans

Toowoomba’s Steve Tregea was heavily influential in the infancy of Troy Pascoe’s training career and many years on he has again given him another decent leg-up.

Tregea is a well-known trainer, breeder and owner on the Darling Downs who famously raced champion galloper Incentivise in the early stages of his career. 

The 69-year-old has taken a step back from training in recent times to focus his attention on his breeding interests at Windemere Stud. 

During that time, the majority of Tregea’s horses he owned were being prepared out of Clifford Park by horseman Joshua King. 

With King relocating to New Zealand to train earlier this year, that is where Pascoe comes into the equation. 

The Pascoe team is riding a high after winning the Ipswich Cup last month and they have also just landed their first blow for Tregea after becoming his main trainer in the Sunshine State. 

The Tregea-owned and Pascoe-prepared Dracena won in dominant fashion at Caloundra on Sunday afternoon to show she is a filly with plenty of upside.

“Steve is great to deal with and it is always good to have his knowledge there to bounce ideas off him,” Pascoe said of his new major stable owner. 

“He is a very knowledgeable fella and he has bred some top horses.

“It makes the job a lot easier for me when he knows his horses like the back of his hand. You can always ask him for advice as you go, you have that base there with him.

“He is very good to bounce ideas off him.”

Pascoe is working out of Tregea’s on-course stables at Clifford Park and shares the barn with fellow trainer Glenn Richardson. 

The 41-year-old Pascoe has known Tregea for many years with the veteran trainer helping him gain permission to train at Clifford Park in his early days in the industry. 

He was quick to contact Tregea about his stables and horses when he found out King was relocating across the ditch.

Dracena was a powerful winner on Sunday at Caloundra, breaking her maiden status in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Plate over 1400 metres by more than five lengths. 

The young filly was knocking on the door when she was prepared by King and ran into the money on four straight occasions. 

Pascoe had lofty ambitions for the daughter of Dracarys when he first picked her up earlier this year.

“We had a couple of little setbacks with her and had her ready to run in early May so we backed off her a little bit,” Pascoe said.

“We sort of wanted to have a crack at something like the Caloundra Guineas and we did have a nomination in for the Queensland Oaks but that was probably going to come around too quick.

“We had a couple of game plans with her, but they all went out the window when she got a bit crook.

“We do think she has a bit of ability, so we are doing the right thing by her and it showed on Sunday.

“We are going to have a look in a fortnight; there is a couple of three-year-old QTIS races on Saturdays at Doomben.

“That is a big step-up from Sunday but that is her last throw at the stumps for QTIS money so we may as well have a crack.”

Broadcaster Jarrod Wessels was particularly impressed with Dracena’s performance on Sunday, noting she was ‘reasonably smart’ in the call. 

“We expected her to go close to winning,” Pascoe said.

“With her setbacks, we were a touch nervous thinking she may underdone but she is a very good winded filly.

“She put them away easily in the end.”

Incentivise’s former regular rider in Queensland Anthony Allen did the steering of Dracena on Sunday in Tregea’s red and white halves and red cap colours. 

Incentivise also broke his maiden status at Caloundra with Allen in the saddle.

Incentivise – who went on to win the Caulfield Cup – won his maiden event in April of 2021 by a touch over three lengths.

On his own stable of runners, Pascoe says he has gone through a long dry gully of winners in recent years and now is glad to finally have a couple of smart ones in his yard. 

He won the Listed Ipswich Cup late last month with veteran galloper Flash Aah. 

On top of Dracena, Pascoe also has juvenile filly Far Cry that Tregea owns as well as three unnamed two-year-olds. 

He has fair hopes for the three unraced youngsters. 

They consist of a Spirit Of Boom who is related to Incentivise, an Encryption who is related to Dracena and a full brother to Highbar.