Dwyer’s bargain ‘Gal who rose to stardom

By Dylan Mutu

It was the bargain buy that almost never happened, with connections at one stage seriously considering selling the filly who would ultimately deliver them the ride of a lifetime. 
 
If you don’t know the story, Regimental Gal was snapped up for just $16,500 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale before surging to win the 2003 Magic Millions 2YO Classic and later stamping herself as a Group 1 sprinting force for Toowoomba trainer Shaun Dwyer.

Having cut his teeth as a foreman for legendary trainers Gai Waterhouse and Bart Cummings in the early nineties, Dwyer was able to develop an eye for quality horses, which later spurred his return to the Sunshine State to take up training in his own right.

With the Mackay-born Dwyer moving back to the Darling Downs after his tenure down-south, he soon fell into the orbit of the right owners, who were keen to buy into a yearling – a horse that would eventually deliver his only two Group 1 victories.

"After leaving my job at Bart’s, we decided to move to Toowoomba and give it a crack,” Dwyer said.

"So, we poked along there for a little while and I was lucky enough to get six horses from a chap up there, Ronnie MaCrae, who got put out for some minor misdemeanours, which three of them were owned by a great group of owners.

"They were keen to buy a yearling by the sire General Nediym, which we ran with at the sales. Eventually, we found this chestnut filly who looked a little too pretty to be fast – we bought her, took her home and it all started from there."

After breaking her in at Toowoomba, one moment still stands out to Dwyer as the first real sign he had something special – the words of Kristy Banks. 

A trackwork rider for Dwyer at the time, a smiling Banks hopped off the two-year-old after trialling her one morning and immediately spruiked the filly’s ability.

"It makes me a little bit emotional thinking about it," Dwyer said.

"Kristy Banks, she used to ride a lot for me, and she rode her in a trial, and she earmarked her there – she said she’s (Regimental Gal) very good.

"So, we took her into town, ran against a couple of John Hawkes’ gallopers and beat them, and then again in fillies’ classic races, and it was then the Magic Millions looked like a very real prospect for us."

With some early offers coming in for the horse, connections gave them thought but ultimately held firm, buoyed by Banks’ and Dwyer’s confidence in the filly.

Speaking of confidence, there was probably none greater than jockey Michael Rodd that summer of 2002/03, who played an instrumental role in the filly’s success. 

Rodd, who has since gone on to become a Melbourne Cup-winning hoop, was just a young kid trying to make his mark in the sport, with Dwyer playing a pivotal part in that process.

"Shaun was a really big supporter of mine early on when I was still claiming," Rodd said.

"To have someone of his stature with such a big stable behind him early on was great for my career. It didn’t matter what horse it was, I was always given the green light.

"Regi (Regimental Gal) was probably the first really good horse I got to sit on. She was a beautiful, big two-year-old – I remember having trouble holding onto her a few times.

"She was great for my riding career early doors, as she was a horse that was getting a lot of attention, which was giving me a lot of attention."

With three wins aboard the filly leading into the Magic Millions Carnival, Rodd was supremely confident in his galloper’s ability heading into the prized feature in January of 2003.

"I just remember how strong she was as a filly," Rodd said.

"She was always first out of the barriers, she’d lead her own race and as I was still a claimer I just had to go with her.

"She was winning well and no other two-year-old gave me a feel like that. She was always heading towards the Gold Coast, being the local horse of the race and the story behind her."

Reminiscing about Magic Millions Day, Rodd remembers the buzz of the occasion and how daunting it felt as a young jockey surrounded by such high-calibre riders.

"It was definitely a little intimidating," Rodd said.

"You walk into the jockeys’ room on Magic Millions Day and it’s stacked with top riders from down south."

With a million dollars on the line, the weight of the moment was there from the outset – but he trusted the filly beneath him.

"Being a million-dollar race, there was a lot of pressure early, but she just absorbed it," Rodd said.

"She got over really easily and travelled well. I might’ve hit the front a touch too soon and they were coming at me from every angle late, but she’s just such a racehorse.

"To win a race like the Magic Millions with all your family, friends, staff and connections there was just amazing. It was huge not only for my career, but for Shaun and the ownership group – they were a fantastic bunch."

With the Magic Millions behind them, the owners turned their attention to targets in Sydney and Melbourne. 

Despite not nominating for the Golden Slipper that autumn, Dwyer was adamant she’d run well in the Group 2 San Domenico Stakes. 
 
With Rodd in the saddle, she staked her claim for future Group 1 success, storming to an emphatic victory and opening the door for a Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes tilt two weeks later.

In a repeat performance, the filly again made every post a winner, adding another Group 2 to her résumé, proving it was no fluke to her connections and that she was ready for a Group 1 campaign.

"I thought I’d take her to Sydney, and if she dressed up down there, I’d then take her to Melbourne," Dwyer said. 

"I put her in the San Domenico just to give her a hit-out and to get used to the atmosphere down there, and she blasted Spark Of Life, who was the best sprinter in Australia at the time.

"That was the most emphatic victory of my life."

Onwards to Melbourne the following season, the filly purchased for $16,500 went on to claim two Group 1 victories – the Lightning Stakes at Flemington and later the Australia Stakes (now the William Reid Stakes).

"It was just totally exciting," Dwyer said.

"I had some great friends there, and the owners… it doesn’t get much better. Maybe a Melbourne Cup or a Cox Plate, but Group 1s at Flemington? That’s amazing."

As we grow closer to the 2026 TAB Magic Millions Raceday, the Gold Coast Turf Club are set to kick off their first Silks Under The Stars meeting this Friday. 

Despite not having a runner on Friday night, Dwyer instead has his hopes pinned on black-type success with Anemacore in the Listed Lough Neagh on Saturday afternoon with Michael Rodd set to take the ride.

The trainer also hasn’t ruled out reuniting with Rodd for a crack at the 2026 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas with his other stable star Dragonne Rouge.

"We're hoping to get her (Dragonne Rouge) here for the 3-year-old Magic Millions," Dwyer said. 

"If 'Roddy' is good, we might look at putting him on it."

For more information about the Queensland Summer Racing Carnival, click here