Hansen hoping for another big Gold Coast payday

By Glenn Davis

The days of working as a security guard and earning a crust in an abattoir are long gone for Sunshine Coast trainer Darryl Hansen.

Hansen has been training on the Sunshine Coast for many years now and will have a throw at the stumps in the QTIS Jewel 2YO Final at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

He will saddle outsider It'sall About Mary - a Cody Collis mount - in the $500,000 feature over 1200 metres.

Hansen, who soon turns 56, can’t recall his last metropolitan winner but his biggest claim to fame was winning the Magic Millions Classic with Le Chef at the Gold Coast in 2015.

He also has won a host of North Queensland features.

Hansen's former star sprinter Monsieur Gustave won the Listed Eye Liner Stakes, Listed Glasshouse Handicap and George Moore Stakes when it was a Group 3 in 2017.

While It'sall About Mary is expected to be at lucrative odds in the QTIS Jewel Final, Hansen isn’t throwing in the white towel.

A daughter of Portland Sky, It'sall About Mary is still a maiden after running on debut at Eagle Farm before finishing second in a QTIS Jewel qualifier at Rockhampton last month.

She finished second to the Stuart Kendrick-trained Another Champers.

“I took her away to Rockhampton last month to educate her,” Hansen said.

“She was still very green, but she hit the line strongly.

“I hoped she could win that race, but it was still a pretty good run.”

Hansen has never won a QTIS Jewel Final and expects a strong showing from It'sall About Mary.

“I trialled her at Deagon one day on a really wet track behind Tony Gollan’s good one, Pembrey,” he said.

“She seemed to get through the wet quite well so I don’t think a wet track will bother her.

“It’s a hard race but she’s a nice chance.”

Hansen once worked as a security officer alongside Rockhampton trainer John Poots who taught him the art of being a chiropractor.

“I used to be a security worker up north with John Poots who taught me a lot about being a chiropractor,” Hansen said.

“I’ve been a chiropractor for more than 20 years and I fixed the back problems for the last three Melbourne Cup winners, Half Yours, Knight’s Choice and Anthony and Sam Freedman's Without A Fight.

“I go down to Tony McEvoy’s stables once a month and work on over 100 horses for them.

“The only major race I haven’t won up north is the Cleveland Bay, but I’ve finished second in it three times."