Lachie and John Manzelmann merge training stables

By Glenn Davis

Champion country trainer John Manzelmann insists he’s not retiring.

But, he is dramatically scaling back his numbers and has transferred all his horses to his son, Lachie Manzelmann.

“I’m not retiring. I’m just scaling back because of rising costs,” John said.

“I’m keeping my trainer’s licence until it expires in another couple of years.”

John's “retirement” was first mooted 12 months ago after he had a painful encounter with a cow on his Mackay property.

He hurt his back when run down by a cow and was forced then to scale back his training operations.

The 54-year-old Mackay conditioner has been involved in the racing game since he was 18.

“I was in the harness industry at first before I started out with thoroughbreds when I was 18,” John said.

The renowned bush trainer has won a host of trainers’ premierships and feature races in country Queensland but a Rockhampton Cup eluded him.

“I’ve won just about all the main races in the country, but I only managed a few placings in the Rockhampton Cup,” he said.

John also is a cancer survivor.

It was in 2006 that John was diagnosed with leukaemia and was given three months to live.

His diagnosis was so poor that his life insurance policy was paid out.

“I went to hospital with a sore back and they told me I had leukaemia,” John said.

“It was Friday the 13th when they said if I didn’t start treatment on the following Monday, I wouldn’t last three months and wouldn’t be around by April.

“I ended up staying at the Wesley in Brisbane for around nine months.”

At the peak of his training career, John had 60 horses in work before he scaled back to around 30 in recent times prior to his decision to transfer his team to his son.

At Mackay on Wednesday, Lachie takes over and will start a big team of horses including Journalism and Outback Action in the Open Handicap.

“I’ve just turned 26 and Dad and I have virtually merged our businesses,” Lachie said.

“I’ll be taking on all the training duties and Dad will work in the background.

“It’ll be good but it’s a lot of hard work.”

Lachie is hopeful both Outback Action and Journalism will be competitive in the Open Handicap over 1100 metres.

“Outback Action has been a bit hit-and-miss lately but he’s some chance if we get a softer track,” Lachie said.

“Journalism has been a good old horse but he’s first-up and will probably need the run.”

Journalism hasn’t raced since finishing third in an Open Handicap at Atherton in the middle of June while Outback Action tailed a field of nine at his last appearance in a Country Stampede qualifier at Gordonvale on October 4.