Treasurer looking after the cash for hobby trainer

By Jordan Gerrans

Deagon trainer Mark Renehan is enjoying his strongest season in more than a decade and he is hopeful it can continue when Treasurer heads back to Gatton next week. 

The son of Capitalist recorded a tough victory at Gatton last Friday in Ratings Band 0 – 55 Handicap company over 1400 metres.

The win was Treasurer’s fourth in 39 career attempts and second since he has joined Renehan’s barn on Brisbane’s northside in the middle of 2024.

Treasurer’s recent triumph coupled with Rubydoo’s win at Ipswich in October of last year has delivered a dream start to the 2025-26 campaign for the hobby trainer.

From his 12 starters this season, the 62-year-old trainer has collected two winners and four minor placings.

Renehan’s winning strike-rate for the term is 16% while his runners have placed in 50% of their starts.

The stable's statistics for the season so far are the strongest the Deagon mentor has recorded in more than a decade.

Treasurer heads back to Lockyer Valley Turf Club at Gatton on Sunday of next week in a Benchmark 60 Handicap over 1400 metres.

“He is a horse with a few niggling things so hopefully he takes confidence from the win,” Renehan said.

“He is always thereabouts as a horse. 

"He ran a really good race in town and finished behind John Rambo early last year.”

Treasurer was nominated for the Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1350 metres at Ipswich on Thursday but the stable instead decided to head back to Gatton next week.

Renehan, who previously worked in the trucking game for a day job, has been around the caper for more than 30 years and prepares a small team of three at Deagon. 

Rubydoo was a shrewd pick-up for the Renehan team after previously being prepared by Adam Campton at the Gold Coast. 

The five-year-old mare won well at Ipswich in a fillies and mares Benchmark 58 race before placing at the Sunshine Coast and Ipswich to close her campaign in November. 

Renehan has recently brought Rubydoo back into work and she is likely to trial within a month before finding a first-up assignment in early March. 

“She has just come back from a spell,” Renehan said.

“When we got her, she was near the end of her preparation and we kept her going.

“She won and placed a couple of times for us.

“She is in her third week of work now; she is a very nice horse.”

Treasurer had run a handful of promising races through the back end of 2025 and recorded a deserved victory at Gatton last week after a wide run in transit. 

Treasurer started his career with New South Wales conditioner Brad Widdup who Renehan says always had a big opinion of the gelding before he was eventually moved on. 

“We have had him for a while and he has run into some bad luck,” Renehan said.

“Hopefully he can get a bit of confidence from that win because it was a good win.

“He had to race wide; his time was good so you cannot complain with the win.

“He has done a good job. He could have won a few times earlier this preparation but that is racing.”

Renehan prepared mare Tapati to a maiden status breaking win at the Sunshine Coast in early April of last year. 

The daughter of Sun City is unlikely to race again after suffering a tendon injury.