O'Connell family come from the clouds

By Jordan Gerrans

The prospect of Reece and Wayne O'Connell riding at the same race meeting just a few years ago was almost as remote as it could be. 

Back around 2020 and 2021, neither of the O'Connells had any touch point with racing. 

Father Wayne was battling a substance abuse addiction, which eventually led to him being homeless for around two months, while his son Reece had hardly been on horseback for the best part of a decade.

At the time, the chances of them competing at the races together appeared very slim.

The father-and-son duo will not only ride together this Saturday at Nanango but Reece will also be legged aboard a galloper that his father prepares. 

The 51-year-old Wayne has made a fruitful return to the sport in recent years, riding 10 winners over the period of his comeback, while he has also taken out a dual licence and prepares a few gallopers, as well.

On the other hand, his 25-year-old son has learnt how to ride and has climbed the ladder all the way to his debut appearance as an apprentice jockey on Saturday at Nanango. 

“He has definitely come a long way and I am very proud of the old fella,” Reece said about his father after his substance abuse battles.

“He is going really well.”

Veteran hoop Wayne credits Reece’s support and guidance in recent years with aiding him to get his life back on track. 

“My son has been really helpful in my recovery,” Wayne said.

Wayne won feature events earlier in his career before, in his own words, his life fell apart.

The Kiwi native won Group races as a hoop back at home before moving to Australia where he rode for many years in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales.

The New Zealander has ridden on both islands on his homeland and tasted Group success as a rider there.

He claimed the Group 3 Preston at Awapuni in September of 1993 on a galloper named All In Fun. 

“I have cleaned my life up and life has turned around from there,” Wayne said.

“Once I did all that and sorted my life out – I wanted to come back to riding. I have not looked back from there, really.”

Wayne couldn’t do it alone and had his young son alongside him every step of the way. 

At the time, Reece was living at Walgett in New South Wales. 

Reece had always had some interest in the racing industry through his father’s earlier feats in the saddle but at that point in his life, a career in the caper had barely crossed his mind. 

“Dad was in a bad place and he came to live with me, so we reconnected that way,” the young hoop recalls.

“I got him a few jobs near where I was living at and I could tell he wasn’t happy with them.

“Racing is pretty much all he knows and I told him if he could get his licence back and get into riding horses again then I would give it a good crack with him.

“At that stage, I hadn’t touched a horse since I was about 13 years old and I only had a couple of rides back then.

“Dad and I reconnected and it sparked again, the horses. I pretty much started from scratch. It is going pretty good now.”

The Bradley family in the Walgett area had horses which the O'Connells rode together to get their touch back before they relocated to the Sunshine State to link up with the Geran barn. 

Wayne has long been friends with hoop Gary Geran who played a role in the returning jockey riding work for co-trainers Corey and Kylie Geran at Clifford Park. 

Now he is preparing his own team, Wayne has relocated to Ipswich, but his son has remained on the Darling Downs and has been indentured to the Gerans ever since. 

From not riding a horse for over a decade to becoming an apprentice jockey, Reece reflects on his incredible journey with pride. 

“I look back on it now and a lot of hard work has had to go into it,” he said.

“There was a few points there where I wasn’t sure if it was for me, but I have stuck with it. It has turned out really well.”

Despite not being involved in racing for long periods of his life, Reece was arguably made for the caper as he walks around at around 51kg and has never had any trouble with his weight.

Reece lauded the influence of the entire Geran clan – Gary, Kylie and Corey – for supporting him in recent years. 

The son-and-mother training team of Corey and Kylie Geran have booked their apprentice to ride Xuanfeng in the Ratings Band 0 - 50 Handicap over 1200 metres on Saturday at Nanango. 

“Reece has been a model apprentice since joining our stable and has come so far to this point,” the Geran stable declared.

“He is a strong and confident rider.”

While it would be a special moment for Reece to ride a winner for his master's on Saturday, it would be even sweeter if he could score on debut aboard Bon Is Good.

Bon Is Good will make her race day debut for Wayne as he prepares the four-year-old mare with his dual licence. 

Instead of riding the chestnut galloper himself, he will hand the reins to his son on his big occasion. 

“I think it is a pretty good genuine chance in this race,” Reece said of his ride on Xuanfeng. 

“The horse for my old man, I haven’t had a lot to do with that one as he is based over at Ipswich and he rides him in work.

“But, he said it would be a good ride for me, so I am looking forward to it.”

Reece will also ride Depth Charge in the Open Handicap over 1200 metres.

Wayne has one ride confirmed for Saturday’s program - Party Prophet for Ipswich conditioner John Hubbard.

Party Prophet will contest the same event as Xuanfeng which gives the O'Connells the opportunity to compete in the same race for the first time.